


Bright New Dawn

by queenbanshee, xtremeroswellian



Category: Smallville
Genre: AU, Angst, Breakups, CheckMate - Freeform, Dinah is bitter, F/M, Hurt Chloe, Hurt Oliver, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Serial Killer, talk of affairs, talk of child abuse, talk of human trafficking, unexpected reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:15:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 69,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24115615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbanshee/pseuds/queenbanshee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: He kept to the shadows the best he could, not only because he didn't really want to be seen, but because it was hot. A heatwave and a crime spree had hit the city in the same short time-span, and neither seemed to be getting any better.Which figured.It seemed that when one thing fell apart, everything else began to follow suit, and that wasn't far from the truth in his life at the moment.
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Mia Dearden, Lois Lane & Chloe Sullivan, Oliver Queen & Mia Dearden, Oliver Queen/Chloe Sullivan, past Oliver Queen/Dinah Lance
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic picks up five years after 'Doomsday' and is completely AU. We wrote it before season ten started so any similarities to Smallville's plot are, freakishly enough, mere _coincidences_.

Star City -- July 24, 2014

He kept to the shadows the best he could, not only because he didn't really want to be seen, but because it was _hot_. A heatwave and a crime spree had hit the city in the same short time-span, and neither seemed to be getting any better.

Which figured.

It seemed that when one thing fell apart, everything else began to follow suit, and that wasn't far from the truth in his life at the moment.

Raking a hand through his hair, he rolled his neck as he approached the alley cautiously, glancing around with the casualty of one who didn't appear to have a care in the world. Which couldn't be farther from the truth. Drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly, he ducked into the alley after he was certain no one was watching.

The police had been gone since the night before, but it had been too dark to really do much then. Dark and crowded. Because when a murder happened on _this_ side of town, people suddenly noticed and cared, or at least pretended to care. Frankly he wasn't sure how much anyone in Star City cared about anyone else these days, but that was beside the point.

 _Oliver_ cared.

But someone _was_ watching. Someone else who cared.

Chloe heard the footsteps and pressed herself against the far back of the alley, hiding behind a dumpster. Most evidence had already been collected, sure and it was only a matter of time before they handed it to her, but in cases like this, she liked to see things for herself. It had gotten too big, too fast, too much to ignore.

And whoever was doing this clearly was too much for the other branches to handle. FBI would deny it, but they simply didn't like it when she and her people got involved. Too bad.

He studied the brick walls first, but saw no visible traces of evidence, so he shifted his attention to the concrete pavement below his feet. He knelt down, pausing for a moment when he spotted the dried blood. He swallowed hard, reaching down and closing his eyes for a moment, guilt sweeping over him. If he'd just been a few minutes earlier, maybe he could have stopped the woman from being killed.

 _No use in playing what if's_ , he thought, shaking his head and opening his eyes once more, looking around for any other sign of evidence.

What if's had done nothing but get him into trouble.

Passing a hand over his face, his jaw tightened and he rose to his feet again, sighing softly. The killer, of course, had gotten away. The police had no suspects according to his source at the department, and none of the recent murders seemed to really follow a pattern of any kind. But he couldn't help but feel they were somehow linked anyway. Something in his gut was sure of it.

Then again, his gut had been wrong on more than one occasion.

Really wrong.

After listening intently to the footsteps, Chloe cocked her head and squinted her eyes, she could tell the other person had their back to her, but that was about all she could see. Pursing her lips, she checked on her watch and frowned, she couldn't waste time, even if this serial killer didn't have a set pattern, at least not one that she had been able to pick up on yet, they were moving too fast and their crimes were escalating. She knew this wasn't the grand finale, that was still to come.

So she had no choice but to get the curious civilian out of the way. With a deep breath, she rolled her shoulders then positioned herself and ran. Before he could even tell what was going on, he would be unconscious. Assuming it was a he.

Oliver heard the sound of footsteps rushing toward him and before he could so much as _turn around_ , he found himself on the ground, pain shooting through the back of his head. "Christ," he muttered, quickly rolling to prevent further attack. "What the hell--" He froze and stared up at her, his eyes wide.

Clearly he'd actually been knocked unconscious and was dreaming. Or hallucinating.

Because the person who towered above him was the last person he'd ever expected to see again, and yet there she stood. His vision swam.

"You," he whispered.

At the sight of a familiar face, she stilled, her eyes widening right back at him, "Oliver?" She asked, surprised.

"Watchtower," he murmured, not trying to sit up. If he was really unconscious, sitting up wouldn't matter, and if he wasn't, he also wasn't sure that she wouldn't knock him out if he moved.

Chloe extended a hand to help him up, raising her eyebrows and smirking, "now that's a codename I haven't heard in ages."

The smirk was still painfully familiar, even five years after he'd seen her for the last time. He hesitantly slid his hand into hers, allowing her to help him up. "What the hell did you hit me with? A gun?" He grimaced, his head spinning as he got to his feet.

"Elbow," she told him, "if you hadn't moved, I wouldn't have missed the pressure point and you would be out." She told him, letting go of his hand once he was standing.

He stared at her for a long moment. "What are you, some kind of ninja?"

"Hardly," she told him with a shrug, "but I've picked up some new tricks since the last time we saw each other."

"Clearly," he responded, regarding her curiously.

Chloe raised her eyebrows and smirked a little at him again then looked away, starting to look around the crime scene again, "I see you're looking into the murders, too?"

Oliver nodded slightly, his expression growing serious. "I was four minutes too late," he said quietly.

"Last night?" Chloe looked over at him, "what did you see?"

"Someone fleeing the scene. The woman dead on the ground." He sighed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not enough."

She took a deep breath, "and you can't describe the person you saw leaving?"

He paused, meeting her eyes for a brief moment and then dropping his gaze. "He was definitely wearing a mask. And based on the glimpse I got of him, I'm pretty sure it was a guy. Tall."

"That's more than I had," she told him, taking a deep breath, "a mask, that should help."

Oliver studied her for a moment. "Help with what exactly?" His voice was quiet, uncertain. "Are you and Clark looking into this?"

" _I_ am looking into this," she said, watching him, "Dinah and your sidekick helping you?"

At that, he blinked a couple of times. "How did you know that Dinah was here in the city? Or about Mia?"

Chloe gave him a look, "come on, Oliver. Who are you talking to?"

A very faint smile graced his lips. "Right," he murmured, his chest suddenly tightening.

She watched him for a long moment. Over five years since she'd seen him, but that didn't mean she didn't know exactly what had been going on in his life. She hadn't been Watchtower in almost as long, but she kept an eye on all of them. "You might want to step out of this one."

And just like that, he felt all his instincts kick into gear. "Why?"

"Because it's big, much bigger than you can handle." She said seriously.

Oliver's eyes narrowed at her. "What do you know?"

"Nothing I can share." Chloe told him simply.

He stared at her, feeling his chest tighten once more as realization dawned on him. _She didn't trust him._ Not that he could blame her, considering what had happened the last time they'd worked on something together. Together, but not really. They'd been as far apart as two people could have been.

"Well, sorry, Chloe. This is my city and when a murder happens, I'll be involved even if it is something you don't believe I can handle."

"This isn't personal, Oliver," she told him sincerely, looking up at him, "but if this person is involved with what we think he is, then it's better if you let us handle it."

He searched her eyes, his gaze softening a little. "You look exactly the same," he said very quietly.

"Is that a compliment?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

A smile tugged at his lips. "Very much so."

At that, she smiled too and raised her eyebrows, "you haven't changed either," she told him.

Oliver gazed at her for a moment. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in having a cup of coffee with me?" he asked softly.

Chloe raised her eyebrows a little more and nodded, smiling softly, "sure. If you don't mind me running after, I have some things I need to take care of."

"Me too," he admitted, pulling out his cell phone. "I just need to call and check in with Mia." 

"Go ahead," she told him and nodded, "I'll finish up here while you do."

He wanted to ask her what exactly she was finishing up with, and who she was working with--or for--but he had the distinct feeling she wouldn't tell him anyway. He nodded slightly and stepped away, heading down the alley and away from her as he dialed the number of the cell phone he'd given Mia.

Once she was done, Chloe slowly made her way out of the alley, carrying an oversized purse and looking around, not wanting to interrupt his conversation if he was still on the phone.

Oliver was already leaning against the wall of the small grocery store at the end of the alley when she joined him. "There's a place about a block up. Do you mind walking?"

"Not at all," she told him, adjusting the purse strap over her shoulder, "everything okay with Mia?"

He nodded a little. "Yeah." He glanced at her sideways as they began to walk. "How've you been?"

"Good," she told him after taking a deep breath. Definitely a lot better than she was last time they saw each other at Jimmy's funeral. It felt like a lifetime ago.

Oliver was quiet for a moment, searching for the right words to say, but feeling sure there really weren't any. "Good," he said quietly instead.

Chloe raised her eyebrows a little, now that they were actually in the sun, she could tell he looked tired, more like exhausted, although if she knew anything about him at all, he hadn't slept after seeing the murder, he'd been too busy guilt tripping himself instead. "How are Dinah and Mia?"

"They're fine," he said vaguely, rubbing the back of his neck. "How's Lois?"

"She's doing well," Chloe told him, cocking her head slightly, Oliver's posture was telling her he was uncomfortable but she couldn't tell if it was because she asked about Dinah and Mia, or if it was because he was asking about her cousin and he still thought of her as 'the one who got away', "star reporter for the Daily Planet, but I'm sure you heard about that."

A faint smile touched his lips. "Yeah. I read the articles when I get time. Which isn't very often these days, unfortunately." He pulled open the door to the coffee shop and held it for her.

She thanked him and walked inside, "work has been keeping you busy?"

He followed her into the cafe, letting her select a table for them. "Very," he said softly. "Among other things."

Chloe chose a booth toward the back, which seemed to be the most secluded choice, "good things, I hope?" She asked him once she took a seat, she didn't expect him to tell her what, specifically, there was a lot about her life she couldn't talk about and she didn't expect him to open up to her.

Oliver didn't meet her eyes. "Some of it," he said absently. He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, looking around for a waiter or waitress to order them drinks. "Do you still take your coffee the same?"

"Yeah," she told him, raising her eyebrows a little, surprised that he'd even _know_ how she took her coffee, let alone remember it after all this time.

He didn't think anything about it as he ordered her usual triple shot caramel mocha and a cup of regular coffee for himself, hoping it was as strong as usual. He needed the caffeine. He glanced back at her and smiled faintly. "Do you still live in Metropolis?" His voice was quiet, uncertain.

"Impressive memory," she told him, smiling softly before shaking her head, "mostly in DC now."

He cocked his head to look at her. "DC?" he echoed, more than a little surprised.

She nodded, shrugging a little, "work."

"What does work consist of these days?" he asked quietly, watching her intently, guilt tugging at him.

Pursing her lips together, Chloe considered her answer for a moment, sure, she could tell him what she usually told other people, paper work and traveling, which wasn't a lie, but this was Oliver and he knew a lot more about that and about secret lives than other people, "I do a lot of traveling," she started with the easiest part, "but I still do research, mostly."

"Mostly," he echoed, searching her eyes.

"Mostly," she repeated, raising her eyebrows a little as she held his gaze, giving him the opportunity to try and read her, mostly because she knew he wouldn't be able to.

Oliver paused, studying her. "So what's the other part of it? The not mostly part?"

Chloe just smiled at him, sitting back against her chair as the waitress brought them their drinks, then picking up her mug but not resuming the conversation when the girl left.

He didn't touch his mug, instead choosing to watch her intently, falling silent as well.

She held his gaze, not looking away but after a long moment, she shrugged a shoulder, "I could do this for hours, but the fact is, there is a lot I can't talk about."

Oliver, however, looked down at the table. "Right," he said quietly.

"We haven't seen each other in over five years, Oliver," she told him, "surely we have more to talk about than work."

He shrugged a little and glanced back up at her. "All right. Go ahead." He smiled, but it was faint and didn't reach his eyes.

"What is going on with you?" She asked, shrugging, "that's a start, right?"

"Sounds like you're already pretty caught up on what's going on with me," he answered, taking a drink of his coffee. "Though I'm kind of surprised."

"I know where you live and who you live with," she told him, "and I know who you work with," Chloe explained then shook her head, "doesn't mean I know what is going on."

Oliver shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "How much do you know?" 

Chloe sipped on her coffee then leaned forward, "I know you live with Dinah and Mia, although I didn't know the girl's name until you mentioned earlier," she admitted, "I'm not following you or watching you closely, but I kept an eye on everyone, to make sure you were okay, then it just became a habit to check on you guys a couple of times a week."

His chest tightened at her admission. "Have you been in touch with the others?" There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"No," she told him, pursing her lips slightly, but the neutral, calm expression was back on her face after a second, "occasionally with Clark, when I'm in Metropolis."

That caught him off guard. "Just occasionally?" His eyebrows furrowed.

She nodded, leaning back against her seat once more, "Lois is living at the farm with him, they should be getting married in a year or so."

Oliver set his mug down. "But you and Clark were best friends. What happened?" he couldn't help but ask.

"A lot of things change in five years, Oliver," her voice remained calm and she offered him a soft smile, "it hasn't been that way for almost that long."

"Oh," he said quietly, looking down at the table once more. "Yeah. I know what you mean."

"We haven't been close since after Jimmy's death," Chloe said simply, "I guess that happened to all of us, though."

He flinched involuntarily--both at the sound of Jimmy's name and at the second half of her statement. "I guess so," he murmured.

At that, Chloe's phone rang and she pulled it from her purse, pursing her lips together, she looked over at Oliver, "I have to go," she told him, "but maybe we can meet again before I leave town."

"I'd like that," he said quietly, nodding a little.

She nodded and took a deep breath as she looked down, opening her purse and looking around for her wallet for a moment then pulling out a card and scribbling a number in the back of it, "give me a call, I should be around for a couple days at least."

He took the card from her and met her eyes. "All right," he said softly, reaching out hesitantly and touching her arm. "Chloe?"

Chloe raised her eyebrows, surprised by his action and looked from his hand to him, "yeah?"

"It's good to see you," he said sincerely.

She watched him for a moment then smiled softly, but sincerely, "it's good to see you too."


	2. Chapter 2

  


Oliver was more than a little surprised to see Dinah Lance at the penthouse when he returned a little two hours after calling Mia to check in. He'd gone back to the crime scene after having coffee with Chloe just in case he'd missed something the first time. And when he decided that he hadn't, he had walked all the way back, across town, rather than hailing a cab. He needed the time to think and try and clear the muddled thoughts from his mind.

Except the walk hadn't helped and now Dinah was sitting on the sofa, which instantly put him on edge.

"How was your _coffee_?" She asked, raising a single eyebrow as she stood up.

"Hot," he answered guardedly, watching her.

"I'm sure," she said, no humor in her voice, "you do have a type, don't you, Ollie? It's always the blonds with you."

"Excuse me?" Oliver's eyes narrowed. "Is there a point to this visit or did you just come to berate me a little more?"

"I came to get the rest of my things," she said blankly, pulling a key from her pocket and holding it out in his direction, "I'm done."

He swallowed hard, staring at the key for a long moment. "Dinah..."

"Why do you even bother, Oliver?"

"Because I care about you," he said honestly, his voice quiet.

"Do you? Is that why you sleep with everything that walks in front of you?" Her voice was louder now, sharper.

He flinched at the accusation. "It was one time." He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "And I've apologized. I don't know what else to say."

"One time that I found out about! And what about now? You're already seeing someone else, Oliver! Mia told me you were going for coffee!"

"Because I ran into an old friend at the crime scene from last night!" He shook his head.

At that, Dinah paused, jaw tight as she considered him for a moment, "who?"

Oliver forced himself to take a deep breath. "Chloe. She's here in the city, apparently investigating the homicide."

" _Chloe_." She echoed, eyes narrowing, "of course Chloe, you really wasted no time, but apparently this is more than just a bimbo."

"What are you even talking about?" he demanded. "Chloe and I were never more than close acquaintances. On a good day, maybe distant friends!" Even as he said the words, he knew they were a lie.

"On her part, maybe!" She accused, stepping toward him, "and you might think I'm stupid, but I'm not, Oliver! I know you were, and probably still _are_ in love with her!"

He stared at her, his mouth hanging open. He didn't know what to say in response, so he just fell silent.

"At least you have the decency not to deny it," she told him, throwing the key against his chest, "goodbye, Oliver." She said as she started on her way toward the door.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, defeat in his posture and his voice. "I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry I put you through this."

"No, you're not," she said tightly, stopping by the door, "you don't care about anything, or anyone but yourself," Dinah turned to glare at him over her shoulder, "I _hope_ she breaks your heart." She told him, a mix of anger and disgust in her voice as she opened the door and slammed it behind herself.

Oliver flinched as the door slammed shut and he shut his eyes, sitting down slowly on the sofa, his hand curled around the key she'd just returned.

* * *

Chloe had been more than a little surprised when she heard from Oliver just the following day. She had been busy, going over paperwork, but she picked up anyway. And then they had agreed on meeting at a restaurant Oliver had suggested, saying it was one of the best places to eat in the city and even as the hostess was showing her to the table, she wasn't sure if she was about to meet Oliver, or Oliver, Dinah and Mia, or any combination of the trio.

She was a little surprised when she saw him by himself, he and Dinah had been living together for years, and thanks to the tabloids, Chloe knew they were more than roommates, so she expected him to bring her, especially since they knew each other, too.

Regardless, she smiled at him and thanked the hostess as she pulled her chair for her, before taking a seat, "sorry I'm late, it was nearly impossible to find a cab."

"It's not a problem," he assured her, sitting down across the table. "I'd have been happy to pick you up, though."

"Easier this way," she assured him, smiling, "although I must say, I'm surprised to see you here on your own."

He paused at that, not quite meeting her eyes. "Oh?"

Chloe shrugged a little, "I just thought maybe you'd bring Dinah and Mia along." Because she knew they were his family now and she knew how much family meant to him.

Oliver was silent for a moment. "Dinah and I...we're not together anymore," he said quietly, not looking at her.

"Oh," Chloe blinked, sincerely surprised by the information, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's...okay." He picked up the glass of water that the waitress had brought and took a drink.

She shifted on her seat and watched him for a moment, pursing her lips together, "do you mind me asking what happened?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "You know what they say about the press. Sometimes the things you read about a person are pretty accurate."

"They usually aren't when it comes to you," she pointed out, still watching him closely, except she was mostly concerned.

"They got the playboy part right," he said with no emotion.

Her eyes widened slowly and she blinked, truly surprised by the information and not knowing how to take it, "oh."

"Yeah." He still didn't look at her.

"How long have you not been together for?" She asked quietly, pulling her water glass closer.

He blew out a breath. "She moved the rest of her stuff out yesterday." He took another drink and set it down, staring at it. "It's been rocky for a few months."

"Oh, that's recent," Chloe said with a frown, "I'm sorry it happened that way."

"I have no one to blame but myself," he said quietly.

She pursed her lips together, she couldn't comfort him, not when he had clearly been in the wrong, but she could try and change the topic, "is Mia still living with you?"

Oliver nodded slightly. "Yeah. She is."

"How--" Chloe paused, quickly rewording her sentence, "who is she?"

He glanced up at her finally. "Just someone I was trying to help out. There's nothing--it wasn't _her_. She's just a kid," he told her, shaking his head. "I wouldn't do that."

"Oh, I didn't know her age," Chloe said, frowning a little, "how old is she?"

"Eighteen," he said softly, his expression growing weary.

Frowning slightly at the information, Chloe nodded but didn't say anything.

"She was in some trouble and I helped her out. It was no big deal," he said quietly.

She watched him and shrugged, "you took her in and under your wing, sounds like a pretty big deal to me."

Oliver was silent for a moment. "She's been through a lot."

"What kind of things?" She asked quietly, watching him closely.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, staring at his water glass for a moment. "Abusive type things."

"Oh," Chloe frowned, nodding slightly, "I'm glad she found someone willing to help her."

Nodding a little, he looked at her once more, falling silent.

She leaned back against her seat and watched him for a moment then opened her mouth to ask a question before pausing when his phone started ringing.

Oliver drew in a breath, offering her an apologetic look as he pulled his cell phone out, pausing for only a second when he saw Mia's number flash on the screen. "Sorry," he said softly before pressing the phone to his ear. "Mia? What is it?" He listened for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing with worry a moment later, his body tensing at her words. "No, it's okay. Take a deep breath. Don't panic. I'll be there in ten minutes. Okay?"

Chloe raised her eyebrows and sat up, watching him worriedly and pursing her lips together as he spoke with the younger girl.

"Mia, listen to me," he said urgently. "I need you to stay _calm_. I'm on my way. You can do this. Just breathe. Okay. See you in a few." He quickly hung up the phone. "I'm so sorry," he said, shaking his head. "There's an emergency back home and I have to go."

She stood up as Oliver did, nodding, "that's okay, of course, Oliver," she paused, "anything I can do to help?"

He paused at that. "Maybe," he said quietly. "Would you...come with me?"

Chloe didn't even hesitate before nodding, watching him worriedly, "of course."

He hesitantly held his hand out to her as he started to move away from the table.

She raised her eyebrows a little and took his hand, watching him as they made their way toward the exit, frowning.

Oliver's hand curled around hers as he led them toward the door, his face a little paler than it had been moments ago.

"Do you want me to drive?" She asked as they walked outside, she could tell he was shaken up and even if she didn't know her way around the city very well, she knew where he lived and knew they weren't very far.

"If you wouldn't mind," he said quietly, digging out his car keys and holding them out to her. "But Chloe? I need you to drive fast."

She took the keys from him and nodded, "which one is it?" She asked, walking with him.

He nodded toward the black Opel Isignia parked at the curb and made his way to the passenger side.

Chloe was in the driver seat within seconds and pulling out of the parking spot in no time, she wanted to ask him what was going on, but it was only going to make him more nervous, "tell me if I'm going the wrong way."

Oliver swallowed hard, his heart pounding quickly in his chest. They were at his penthouse in less than eight minutes and he was out the door and heading up to the building, holding the door open for Chloe and making his way to the elevator.

She rushed in after him, her eyes widening as he moved quickly into the building, but managed to keep up with him, preparing herself to call in backup if necessary as soon as they made their way into the apartment and she could tell what the situation was.

As soon as he got the door unlocked and opened, the sound of a young infant's wailing could be heard. "Mia!"

"In here," she called from one of the rooms.

Chloe stilled at the sound of the baby crying, looking from Oliver to the direction the voice came from, eyes widening slightly.

Oliver quickly headed down the hall to the nursery they'd set up and stepped inside. The child was in Mia's arms, screaming loudly, tears rolling down his red cheeks. He moved over to Mia and shifted the baby into his arms, bouncing him gently. "Shhh." He looked at her. "How long has he been running a fever?" he asked worriedly, pressing his lips to the baby's forehead.

She wasted no time in following Oliver into the room, her eyes widening even more as she saw Oliver handling the blond baby with expertise. Holding her breath, she lingered by the door, watching.

"I don't know, he was sleeping and then he started crying and I came to pick him up and noticed and he won't stop crying, Oliver, what are we going to do?"

"Breathe, Kiddo," he said gently, offering her a quick, albeit worried smile. "You did fine." He turned his attention to the child in his arms. "Hey, hey. It's okay. You're all right," he murmured, smiling a little as the wails began to subside a little.

Mia visibly relaxed as the baby started to calm down, "you just wanted your dad, then? You should have just said so, Connor, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

At the word 'dad', Chloe turned to look at Oliver's face once more, Oliver Queen was a _father_? Or maybe the baby was Mia's and he was taking him as his own? But Mia's hair was dark, and the baby was very blond... and then the thought that maybe this was _Dinah's_ baby crossed her mind, but how could it be? She knew Dinah had been patrolling non-stop.

As if sensing her eyes on him, Oliver turned to look at Chloe, offering her a small, faint smile. "Chloe, I'd like you to meet my son, Connor Queen," he said quietly.

Mia only noticed the other woman when Oliver talked to her, turning to look at her too, she raised her eyebrows.

Chloe blinked and hesitated before stepping closer, "he's gorgeous, Oliver," she said sincerely, looking from him to the baby.

"Thank you," he murmured, pressing another kiss to Connor's forehead, then glancing back at Mia. "And this is Mia. Mia, this is...an old friend of mine. Chloe Sullivan."

"Hi," Mia told Chloe, watching her closely.

"Nice meeting you, Mia," she told the girl then turned to look at the baby again, "is he okay?"

Connor had begun to gnaw on one of Oliver's fingers and he glanced up from the baby to look at Chloe. "I think he's teething," he said with relief.

"Oh," she nodded again, watching Oliver, "that's not so bad."

"Are you sure?" Mia asked right after Chloe spoke, "we should call the doctor, right?"

"May as well be on the safe side," he said, nodding at Mia. "Thank you."

Mia nodded and looked at Connor then made her way out of the room quickly.

Chloe glanced over her shoulder to see Mia leave before looking at Oliver again, "how old is he?"

"Eight months," he said quietly, gazing at her for a moment.

Pursing her lips together, Chloe nodded. Not Dinah's, she was pretty positive, although she would double-check her logs when she had the opportunity to. Hesitantly, she took a step closer and looked down at the baby, who had stopped crying altogether now, "looks like you have a way with him."

Connor looked at Chloe with wide brown eyes, staring at her curiously.

"He's not...Dinah's. If you were wondering," he said softly, smiling a little as the child waved a hand toward Chloe.

"I was," Chloe admitted, glancing at Oliver then back at the baby and stepping even closer, smiling a little and lifting a hand to touch his, "hi, Connor."

His little fingers wound around one of hers and he smiled at her.

Oliver's chest tightened a little at the sight.

She couldn't help but smile back at him, brushing her thumb over his fingers as she watched him, completely missing the look on Ollie's face.

Connor reached for her with his other arm, as well.

"I think he likes you," Oliver told her.

Chloe pursed her lips together and tentatively held her arms out for Connor, "maybe he thinks I'm Dinah, because of the hair..." she reasoned, glancing at Oliver.

"I don't think so," he responded quietly, not meeting her eyes as he carefully passed his son to her.

She picked Connor up awkwardly, turning her attention back to the baby as she adjusted him in her arms even as he stared up at her with big, brown eyes, "he looks so much like you."

A faint, but genuine smile touched his lips. "Thank you."

Chloe watched Connor as he reached his hand toward her face and made a little noise, "what is it?" She asked, leaning down for him a little.

He smiled at her, plopping one hand against her chin as he gurgled.

"Oh," she smiled back, glancing at Ollie, "is that good?"

"He likes you," he said softly, a smile on his face.

Without thinking about it, Chloe pressed a kiss to Connor's little fingers as he placed his hand over her lips, "I can't believe you're a dad," she told Oliver, even though she didn't take her eyes off of the baby.

Oliver watched her intently, nodding a little. "Me either," he admitted quietly. "It was...very unexpected."

"How so?" She asked him, adjusting the baby.

"His mom....dropped him off last month. I didn't know anything about him until then," he murmured.

"Oh," Chloe's eyes widened a little at the information, looking up at Oliver, "that must have been hard to handle."

He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "It was a shock."

And now it made sense why things between him and Dinah had suddenly changed, "I can only imagine..." Chloe told him, "and you are sure..?"

"He is," he said without hesitation, meeting her eyes.

"Not that there is a big possibility he wouldn't be, looking at him," she said, smiling slightly at Oliver, "and Mia has been helping you?"

Oliver nodded, smiling faintly. "Thankfully. I'd be kind of lost without her at this point."

"You seem to be doing pretty well," Chloe told him, adjusting the baby once more as he reached up to touch her hair.

"I hope so." His voice was quiet.

"Thank you for being willing to bring me here," She said just as quietly, her eyes on him again.

He held her gaze. "Thank you for being willing to come here." He paused. "I know it's been a long time, Chloe."

"It has," she told him, holding his gaze back, her chest a little tight, "and you have no reason to trust me."

"And you have no reason to trust me," he said just as quietly, searching her eyes.

Chloe considered for a moment then nodded, "no, I suppose I don't."

Oliver's chest tightened at her agreement, and he looked down at the floor.

"But if you're willing to take a chance with something as big as this," she continued after a moment, looking down at Connor as he stared up at her, "I suppose I could make an effort to do the same."

He looked up at her, surprised by her response. Then he smiled.

"I like this plan."


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe hadn't stayed at Oliver's much longer that night, Connor had fallen asleep in her arms and when Mia came back into the room, she said the doctor was on his way over, so Chloe felt like it was better for her to go and give them some privacy, but not after telling Oliver to give her a call when he had time. She did want to see him again.

She hadn't been around people from her past, Lois being the exception, but she was family. Chloe spoke with her at least once a week, whenever their busy schedules allowed. She did see Clark a couple of times a year, usually around Christmas and then whenever she was in town, but even then, they didn't talk much. She wasn't mad at him, but it was just easier on both of them that way.

It had been two days since her and Oliver's failed attempt at dinner, but she knew why he hadn't called. Just the following morning, she had heard about the new murder in town, this time even more gruesome than the previous and she had no doubt Oliver had been working on it as hard as she had been, she knew they would run into each other again eventually and while she hoped it would be sooner rather than later, she had to focus on the reason why she had come to Star City in the first place. The rest could wait.

And that was why she was sitting in the rented apartment's office, making call after call as she tried to get more pieces to the puzzle.

It had taken only a few hours to locate the place where Chloe was staying while she was in Star City. Sure, he could have just called and asked her to meet him, but Oliver Queen rarely ever did anything the easy way. He drew in a breath as he stood on the doorstep to the apartment, and then reached out and knocked. Between the latest murder and Connor's teething that kept him up, in turn keeping Oliver and Mia both up, Ollie hadn't slept since the evening before the failed attempt at dinner with Chloe.

Chloe frowned at the knock and quickly ended her conversation, hanging up the phone and grabbing her gun without a second thought before making her way over to the door, holding her breath until she saw who was standing outside, she lowered the gun, and glanced at the apartment behind her, there wasn't much around the living room, except for the furniture the apartment came with. Nothing work related, which was her main concern.

After a long moment, she unlocked and opened the door, gun still in hand, but pointing to the floor, "hey," she greeted, raising her eyebrows, "everything okay?"

Oliver met her eyes for a moment, then glanced down at the gun in her hand. He paused, frowning a little. "I'm guessing you heard about the latest murder."

"Yeah," she sighed softly then stepped aside, "come in."

He stepped inside hesitantly, glancing around and then turning to look at her, watching as she closed the door behind them.

Chloe took a moment to lock the door and press a button in the small device by the door, which looked like an alarm control panel, but was also a scrambler. She placed the gun back in her purse before turning to look at him once more, "have a seat," she offered, still not sure why he was there.

Oliver raked a hand through his hair before moving over to sit down on the sofa. It felt like it was the first time he'd sat down in days. He scrubbed his hands over his face and looked up at her wearily. "I don't suppose you have any leads."

"Working on it," she told him, watching him but still standing, "whoever is doing this, he is good, strong, incredibly fast and I'm willing to bet you not just human. They are good, too, because there is no evidence other than the body in every single one of the crime scenes. The only thing we have to work with is try and find a connection between the victims."

He was quiet for a moment. "The woman two nights ago? Was an employee of mine at Q.I."

"I know, I'm sorry," Chloe told him quietly, "did you know her personally?"

He shook his head a little, exhaling slowly. "Just enough that I knew who she was."

"The first one from Star City was also a woman, she worked in the mayor's office and I can't find a connection between the two with the exception that they went to the same High School," Chloe told him finally taking a seat, "but as far as I can tell, they didn't really know each other."

Oliver paused at that. "What did she do in the mayor's office?"

"Secretary, nothing of importance, phone calls and taking messages." She said quietly.

He stared at her for a moment. "I spoke with her a couple weeks ago, when I went there for a meeting with the mayor."

Blinking, she sat up, frowning, "are you sure it was her?"

"Pretty sure." He rose to his feet and began to pace the floor of the apartment.

"I don't think the fact that both those women have had brief interactions with you is enough to call it a connection, but I'll keep that in mind just in case," she told him even as she considered the information.

"Maybe not," he agreed, his voice quiet. "Unless someone's figured out my secret identity."

"If they found out your secret identity, they would be going after people you saved as Green Arrow too, Oliver, lets not jump to conclusions."

Oliver nodded slightly, forcing himself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Chloe watched him for a moment, "how is Connor?"

"Fussy," he answered with a slight grimace. "But his fever's gone."

"That's good," she watched him, "when is he supposed to have his teeth by?"

"Any day," he told her, smiling faintly.

"Hopefully soon, then," she said, nodding a little, "you look tired."

"Thanks, Chloe." He smirked a little involuntarily.

Chloe rolled her eyes and smiled a little at him, "all I'm saying is, you have a baby to take care of, don't worry too much about the case, get some rest."

"I can do both," he told her, shoving his hands in his pockets and watching her. "But you don't look tired at all."

"I don't have a child," she pointed out, smiling a little at him.

He couldn't help but smile back at her, meeting her eyes. "You look good, Chloe," he said quietly.

She paused and raised her eyebrows, smiling a little, "thank you."

Oliver nodded a little. "I assume whatever work you're doing has you here until these murders get solved." It wasn't really a question.

"Unless he moves again," Chloe told Oliver, "there were murders both in Gotham and Metropolis and I think they were all committed by the same person."

"How many there?" he asked, his stomach knotting with dread.

"Five in Gotham, two in Metropolis," she said quietly, "I don't have any proof that those murders are connected, I wasn't looking into them at the time, but from the information I gathered, it's just a gut feeling."

"I have a friend in Gotham who could probably give us more information on the Gotham murders," he told her.

"I have all of the information the police had," Chloe told him, "and some more, but I won't say no to extra information."

He nodded a little. "I'll contact my friend and see what he knows. Maybe we could give dinner a shot again tonight? But at my place? I don't really want to be away from Connor and Mia anymore than I have been the last couple days."

She raised her eyebrows, surprised at the sudden change in the direction of the conversation, but nodded a little, "okay, we can do that."

He smiled faintly. "All right. Then I'll see you this evening."

"What time should I come by?" Chloe asked, raising her eyebrows a little.

"Whenever you want," he said, shrugging a shoulder. "I figure I can order in Chinese food."

"I can bring something," she suggested, "that way you won't have to worry about anything."

He paused. "Like what?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know," Chloe admitted, "you're the local, you tell me."

Oliver smiled. "Just depends on what you're in the mood for."

"What kind of food do you and Mia like?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, Mia's favorite is pizza with pineapple," he told her. "But I'll eat just about anything. Comes with being a guy." He smirked.

"Hawaiian pizza?" Chloe made a face, "I guess we can get a couple of different pizzas in that case."

He chuckled at the look on her face. "That'd be good. There's a pizza place just a few blocks from my place that's pretty good. Little Italy's."

Chloe nodded a little and smiled, "I'll look up the address and pick it up from there, then," she told him, "I'll come by around seven?" She suggested.

He held her gaze. "Sounds good."

She smiled a little more and nodded, "thank you for inviting me, but you really didn't have to drive over here to do it."

"I wanted to," he said quietly. Truthfully, after the last couple of days, he'd just needed to _see_ her. To make sure he hadn't just been dreaming that she was in town.

"I'm glad you did," she admitted quietly, watching him closely, "it's nice to be around a familiar face for a change..."

"Yes, it is," he said softly, smiling a little.

Chloe watched him for a long moment and pursed her lips together, "how are you, Oliver, really?" She asked quietly, something she knew she should ask when Mia wasn't around.

His smile faltered at the soft question, at the sincere concern that was behind it and he swallowed hard. "One day at a time, right?" His voice was soft.

"Probably the best way to go about it," she agreed, eyes still on him, "you seem to have a lot to handle right now."

Oliver hesitated a moment, then moved over to sit down on the sofa a few feet away from her. "Thankfully Mia's really good with Connor," he said quietly, exhaling slowly.

"I'm sure it helps a lot to have someone to give you a hand with that." She told him.

"I don't really know much about kids," he admitted, glancing over at her.

Chloe shrugged a little, "you seem to be doing pretty well with him, and I think most things you just learn as you go, right?"

"Not much choice besides that," he told her with a half-shrug.

She nodded a little, "and you didn't have as much time to get yourself prepared."

"Understatement," he murmured, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "But it is what it is."

"I would offer to help," she told him quietly, "but I know less about kids than you do."

"Yeah, well, Connor loved you right away." He smiled a bit. "The only other person he's taken to like that is Mia."

"Really?" She asked, surprised.

Oliver nodded. "At least...as long as he's been with us," he clarified. "Before that, I don't...really know."

Chloe nodded too, watching him, "you're still getting to know him, huh?"

"As well as you can know an eight month old," he said softly, glancing down at his hands.

She looked at him, not really knowing what to say for a moment, she could tell he wasn't doing well, "is there anything I can do?"

He glanced up at her, gazing at her intently for a moment. "There is something, actually." His voice was quiet.

Chloe raised her eyebrows and nodded a little, "go ahead."

"When this is all over, don't just vanish on me," he murmured.

Her chest tightened a little and a small smile touched her lips, "I'll do my best not to."

"It's hardly a fair thing for me to ask, is it?" He drew in a breath, rising to his feet.

She frowned a little and looked up at him, "what do you mean?"

He paused for a moment, then turned to look at her with a pained expression. "Considering that's exactly what I did to you," he reminded her.

Chloe blinked and frowned, shaking her head, "Oliver..."

"I'm sorry, Chloe," he whispered, his chest tight.

"Don't do this," she told him, turning a little on her seat, "it was hard on everyone and I don't blame you, I never have."

"Why not? I would have." He shook his head, sadness in his eyes. "You lost your husband and the guy you were trying to help, and _I_ ran."

"You tried to warn me, if I had listened to you, things would have gone differently," Chloe said quietly, looking down at the coffee table. She hadn't thought about any of this in years, she tried not to think about any of it at all.

He winced. "My motives were selfish," he told her.

Chloe had been ready to end this conversation, to move on to a new subject, but his words made her stop, "what do you mean, selfish?"

Oliver paused at her question, caught off guard. "I wanted to keep you safe," he admitted quietly.

She blinked once and raised her eyebrows, then shook her head, "you thought Davis was dangerous, you were right."

He looked down at the floor for a moment. "Yeah," he whispered.

Pursing her lips together, she turned to look at him, "we shouldn't talk about this," she whispered, "it was a long time ago, Oliver and we have both moved on, things are different now."

Oliver drew in a breath and let it out slowly, nodding a little. "I just needed to apologize," he said quietly. "I've needed to for a long time."

"You have nothing to apologize for," she told him quietly, watching him, "but if it will make you feel better about it, apology accepted."

He looked up and met her eyes, the breath catching in his throat. He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. "Thank you," he whispered.

Chloe's heart clenched and her breath also caught at the look on his face, she lifted her hand to his arm and pursed her lips together, "I meant what I said, Ollie, I never blamed you, if anything, I should be the one apologizing for not listening."

"No," he said, shaking his head and sitting down beside her again, this time closer than before. "You don't need to apologize for anything. You were just trying to do what you thought was best for everyone involved."

"We all were," she whispered, watching him.

He met her eyes once more. "I said some terrible things to you," he murmured.

"None of it matters," she said sincerely, "like I said, we're different people now, Ollie."

He nodded slightly, hesitating a moment and then reaching his hand up to cover her hand that still rested on his arm.

Chloe looked up at him and met his eyes, "don't worry about that anymore," she told him quietly, wondering if he'd been kicking himself over that for five years now.

"Are you all right?" He couldn't stop himself from asking, despite the fact that she had just said they were different people.

She looked at him for a moment then nodded a little, "yeah, I'm okay," she hesitated for a moment, "work keeps me busy, it's nice."

Oliver squeezed her hand a little. "As long as you're not _just_ working all the time."

At that, she paused and smiled a little, but didn't answer.

"You're just working all the time, aren't you?" A smile tugged at his lips.

Chloe smiled a little more and shrugged a shoulder, "I don't have a lot of free time."

"I'd say all work and no play makes Chloe a dull girl, but dull's never been an accurate term when it comes to you."

Raising her eyebrows, she smirked a little, "you haven't been around me in a long time, who knows? Maybe I'm dull now."

"You couldn't be dull if you tried," he informed her with an amused smile.

"Please," she gave him a look, "you don't know that."

He raised an eyebrow. "I do, actually."

"How so?" She raised an eyebrow back and cocked her head.

He smirked. "Trade secret," he informed her, tapping his temple lightly.

"Uh huh," Chloe said, smirking and shaking her head a little.

He flashed her a charming grin and shrugged a shoulder. "Truth."

At the grin she held her breath a little, it was good to see him relaxed, even if their interactions had been brief so far, he'd always seemed tired, almost hopeless, "I see you haven't changed."

His eyebrows furrowed a little. "What do you mean?"

"Well _that_ is my secret," she told him, smiling.

He shook his head with amusement. "Whatever you say, Chloe."

Shrugging a shoulder, she leaned back against the couch, "it's only fair."

Oliver watched her for a moment, then he shrugged as well. "We all have our secrets."

Chloe grew quiet and let out a breath then nodded a little, "we do."

He paused at her reaction to his words. "Maybe one day we'll be able to trust certain individuals with those secrets," he murmured.

She looked over at him and nodded a little, "that would be nice, but with the lives we lead, I don't know if it's possible."

"Not even after everything we've seen?" he asked quietly.

" _Especially_ after everything we've seen," she told him, her voice just as quiet as she looked away.

Oliver wasn't sure what to say to that, but he hesitantly reached out and placed a hand on her arm wordlessly.

Chloe looked over at him and smiled a little, then nodded slightly in gratitude. The last thing she wanted was to bring someone else in the crazy lives they lead, and have to watch them getting caught in the middle of it again.

"I should get out of your hair," he said quietly.

With a deep breath, Chloe nodded a little, "I need to make a few calls before I go over, but I'll be there around seven."

"All right," he agreed with a slight nod, squeezing her arm lightly before letting his hand fall away and rising slowly to his feet.

She stood too and smiled a little at him, "I'll see you soon."

"Soon," he echoed with a soft smile as he headed for the door.

Chloe followed him and watched him go before taking a deep breath and locking the door, then turning to head down the room she was using as an office. She had work to do.


	4. Chapter 4

  


Once she was done with her pizza, Chloe picked up her glass and took a last sip of her wine before relaxing against the chair, "maybe there is something to this Californian pizza after all," she teased.

"You didn't even eat the awesome pineapple one." Mia told her.

Smirking softly, Chloe shook her head, "I don't think I'm brave enough, maybe next time."

Oliver smirked at her and then glanced down at Connor, who lay in his arms, sleepily drinking down a bottle of formula. "Who knew pineapple on pizza could scare Chloe Sullivan?" he teased.

"Well, if I ate pineapples, I'd be eating fruit, and eating fruit means eating healthy and we just can't have that, can we?" She teased.

He chuckled softly, shifting the baby in his arms. "It's practically a crime against humanity."

"Exactly," Chloe agreed, smiling as she looked down at the baby.

"Well, live with Ollie long, you have no choice in the matter, he always cooks and he usually makes it healthy," Mia informed her.

Oliver smiled at Mia. "You generally like what I make at least."

"Or at least that's what I tell you," she said with a smirk.

He smirked back at her. "It's less what you tell me and more the fact that you tend to inhale everything on your plate in five minutes."

Mia paused, considering, "eat it fast enough, you don't have to taste it?" She tried.

Oliver simply raised an eyebrow at her.

"Hey, I tried," Mia said, grinning and shrugging.

Chloe shook her head a little, smiling, but didn't say anything, it was weird to think of Oliver as a single father of two, which wasn't completely accurate, but it was the role he was playing right now, and even weirder to see how comfortable he was with everything.

"And you get points for effort," Oliver told her with an amused smile. He glanced down at Connor once more and kissed his forehead when he saw that the baby had fallen asleep in his arms.

Mia looked at the kid when Oliver did and stood up, "I'll put him to bed." She offered, holding her hands out.

"Thanks, Kiddo," he told her, passing him to her arms and smiling softly.

"C'mon, kid," Mia said to Connor as she picked him up and started toward the nursery, "I'll teach you all about the awesomeness that is pineapple in your pizza."

Chloe chuckled and shook her head, watching the teenager head away with the baby.

Oliver grinned as he watched them head away, as well. Then he glanced over at Chloe, his eyes bright with amusement.

Pursing her lips into a smile, she turned to look at Oliver and her smile turned bright, "quite a family you got yourself."

The sight of _that_ particular smile nearly took his breath away. "Yeah, it is," he agreed softly.

"It's nice to see," she said sincerely, watching him.

"Yeah it is," he said without thinking, still gazing at her intently.

Chloe blinked, confused both by his words and the expression on his face, "what?"

Oliver paused. "What?"

"Nothing," she told him, relaxing against her seat and looking over at him, "you seem a lot happier around them."

"Oh." He glanced toward the hallway where Mia had taken Connor, then back at her, falling silent for a moment. "I am."

"I'm glad, Oliver," she told him quietly, watching him closely, "it's good to know you have someone."

"Do you?" he asked quietly, searching her eyes.

She raised her eyebrows and nodded slightly, "I have Lo."

"Right," he murmured.

Chloe smiled softly at him and nodded a little, mostly, she had work, because even if she loved her cousin, she didn't really know much about her life.

Oliver watched her for a moment. "How often do you see her?"

"Not often," she admitted, "whenever I'm in Metropolis or she's working in the same city as I am."

"And you're not lonely?" he asked quietly.

"I don't have enough free time to get lonely," she told him, teasing and smiling, but her chest tightened.

He didn't smile back, simply shook his head a little. "You don't have to have free time to be lonely, Chloe," he murmured.

Chloe's smile fell and she shook her head too, "I don't think about it."

 _Liar_ , he thought, keeping his eyes on her. "That's good then. Maybe you can give me tips sometime." He smiled faintly.

She looked at him for a moment then nodded, "I might share my secret," she told him as she turned to pick up the wine and pour some more on her glass, "you have good taste in wine."

"Almost as good as my taste in women," he answered, holding his glass out as well.

Chloe raised her eyebrows and poured wine into his glass, "I don't know about that."

A smile quirked his lips. "Trust me. It is."

"I'll have to take your word on it, although, Tess Mercer aside, I do approve of Lois and Dinah," she told him, smiling softly and sipping on her wine.

He paused at that. "Lois and I were better as friends." He took a drink of his wine. "And Dinah and I never should have been together."

She frowned a little, watching him and sipping once more on her wine before speaking, "just because it didn't end well, it doesn't mean it should never have happened."

"It does if all you can say about an off and on four year relationship is that you spent more time hurting each other than not," he said quietly.

Chloe paused at that and cocked her head, "that's a long time, Ollie, was it really that bad?"

Oliver stared at his glass of wine for a long moment, then took a drink. "Not all the time."

"Have you two been working together?" She asked quietly.

At that, his chest tightened. "No," he admitted.

She let out a breath and nodded a little, "that's always how it goes, isn't it?"

"Which part?" he asked, glancing over at her. "Me not being able to make a relationship work or being unable to work with others?"

Chloe frowned for a second then shook her head, "things ending, people going their separate ways. Not just you."

"Oh." He exhaled slowly, offering her a small, apologetic smile.

She smiled a little and shook her head, "you're not the problem, it's just... people." She said quietly, sipping on her glass again.

"Pretty sure this one was me," he told her quietly, taking a drink.

"It takes two, it always takes two," she told him.

"Sometimes it takes a third person," he answered.

Chloe was quiet for a moment and looked down at her glass, "what made you do it?"

His chest tightened and he took another drink, swallowing it down quickly. "She reminded me of someone else," he murmured.

"But you and Dinah were already unhappy, weren't you?" She asked, glancing at him.

"You can't make someone else happy when you're miserable," he told her with a sad smile.

She pursed her lips together and watched him, "how long have you been miserable?"

Oliver paused, turning his head to look at her and falling silent.

Chloe held his gaze and raised her eyebrows a little.

He shook his head a little. "It doesn't matter."

She nodded and looked away, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, "I'm sorry things happened that way."

He shrugged a shoulder. "Happened that way for a reason."

"Yeah," she agreed, "always does," Chloe told him, finishing her wine.

He watched her for a moment, then finished off his wine, as well. "Think we'll ever really know the reason?"

Chloe paused and shook her head a little, eyes on the glass she was still holding, "probably not, and it doesn't matter if we do, does it?"

"Doesn't it?" he asked quietly.

"It won't change things," she said simply.

"Or it would and that's what we're afraid of."

"How would it change anything, Oliver?" She asked, shaking her head and placing her glass back down then leaning back against the chair, "it's done."

He paused at that. "I'm not so sure."

Chloe glanced at him, "I hope you're right."

"Because you want things to change?"

"Because I hope they go the way you want them to," she told him quietly.

Oliver's chest tightened at her words. "Can't have everything though, can I?"

She shook her head a little, "that's hardly everything, Oliver."

He raised an eyebrow and glanced around the penthouse. "It's not like I'm hurting for much else."

Chloe glanced at him and shook her head, "money is hardly everything, you know that better than most people."

"It's more than most people have," he said softly.

"Most people have normal lives, we never will," she pointed out, her voice just as soft as his.

"I tried it for awhile. It wasn't for me." He smiled faintly, looking down.

"I couldn't do it either," she admitted, looking over at him, "but it doesn't mean it's not a sacrifice."

Oliver met her eyes for a moment, then glanced down the hall toward the nursery before looking at her once more. "It's worth it."

Chloe watched him then nodded a little, "yeah," she said quietly, following his gaze and glancing toward the nursery, sincerely glad he had found reason to make it all worth it, and that he had enough of 'normal' to pull him away from what was normal for people like them. She took a deep breath and stood up slowly, "I should get back."

He frowned. "You've only been here forty-five minutes, Chloe."

"I know," she told him and smiled a little, "that's a pretty long break for me and you should..." she waved a hand toward the nursery, "spend time with them while you have down time."

"I was actually hoping you could stick around. My friend from Gotham's supposed to call soon," he told her, watching her intently.

"Oh," she hesitated then slowly sat back down, "who is your friend?"

Oliver smiled a little at that. "A very...reliable source."

"Right," she smiled a little, as long as he was going to work anyway, she didn't feel like she was interrupting family time, "got it."

"More wine?" he asked, nodding toward the bottle.

"Sure," she said with a nod, "thank you."

He poured her another glass of wine and then one for himself, as well, holding the glass out to her.

Chloe took the glass, fingers brushing softly against his hand as she did, and offered him a soft smile.

He swallowed hard, faltering for a moment at the light touch and then forcing himself to pick up his own glass, his heart beating a little more quickly in his chest. He told himself that his reaction was ridiculous. He'd touched plenty of women, been touched _by_ plenty of women, and he'd _never_ lost his cool. Never felt the breath catch in his throat the way it did around Chloe.

She frowned softly at the look on his face, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said softly, nodding a little and not quite meeting her eyes.

Once more, she didn't push him, just sipped on her wine quietly.

Oliver glanced over at her as he took another drink, as well. "I don't think we've ever drank together before."

"No, I don't think we have, not really," she agreed quietly, "but then again, I think this is the longest we've ever hung out together."

He paused at that, staring down at his glass. "I suppose you're right there," he murmured.

"We rarely even talked outside of missions," she added quietly, thinking about the times they spent together in their previous lifetime.

"That's not true." He looked up at her, a frown on his face.

Chloe frowned a little and turned to look at him, "it's not?"

"No, it's not." He shook his head. "We spent a lot of time together outside of league missions."

"I wouldn't say a lot, we spent some time together, but mostly, it was before and after work," she pointed out, smiling a little.

Oliver took another drink of his wine. "We wound up spending a lot of time together after..." He paused, his grip tightening slightly on the glass.

"After my divorce?" She asked quietly, frowning softly.

"After I murdered Lex Luthor." His voice was very quiet.

Chloe stilled at that, her eyes going over his expression carefully, she had promised to trust him too and now it was time to show him she meant it, "you don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" he asked after a moment, downing the rest of his wine.

"You _didn't_ murder Lex." She paused, "he's alive, Oliver."

A short bark of laughter escaped him. "I'm _not_ that drunk, Chloe."

She remained serious, watching him and waiting for him to realize she wasn't joking.

When she didn't laugh, too, he looked up at her, confusion clear on his face.

"I have a very trustworthy source too," she told him, "he's alive, he's hiding, but he's alive."

"How is that even possible?" He shook his head, staring at her.

"I don't know," she admitted, "I have people looking for him 24/7, but I have the feeling we won't find him until he is ready to be found."

Oliver opened his mouth to respond, then shut it again, not taking his eyes off her.

Chloe held his gaze, "I've known for a few years, it was one of the reasons I started watching you more closely, since you were the obvious target."

He rubbed a hand over his face, setting his glass down on the table and leaning back on the sofa, dazed. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," she told him quietly, "you should have found out about this sooner, but I didn't want to scare you."

"How long have you known?"

"Since I took this job, a little less than three years." She admitted, watching him.

He paused, gazing at her intently. "Chloe, what is it that you do?" he asked, shaking his head.

She took a deep breath, "it's... it's a government job," she admitted, before standing up and walking over to her purse then picking up a small device.  
He blinked. "Okay, I didn't see that one coming," he admitted, slowly rising to his feet and watching her.

She turned the device on and placed it back inside, "think FBI," she said quietly.

Oliver watched her intently, his eyebrows furrowing. "But not?" he guessed, watching her slide the device back into her purse.

"Not exactly," she took a deep breath, "it's an agency called Checkmate, it's kind of what we already did, to a much larger scale."

"How much larger?"

"We have people all over the world," she told him, "not as many as we used to, but we're getting there."

"Oh," he murmured, staring at her.

"It's big," Chloe told him quietly.

"I'm getting that," he responded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"There is no point in lying to you," she told him, sighing softly and standing up straight, "but the less you know, the safer it is for you and Mia and Connor."

He glanced toward the hallway, listening to the silence for a moment before moving to stand closer to her. "And what about you?"

"What about me?" She asked quietly, looking up at him.

"Are _you_ safe, Chloe?" He gazed at her with worried eyes.

"I am," she said sincerely, "I have people."

His chest tightened a little at that, but he nodded, dropping her gaze. "That's good."

Chloe hesitated for a moment then took a step closer to him, "that's why I told you to let me take care of things, take care of the serial killer, I'm not doing it alone, and I don't have anyone they could come after."

"Except for you," he murmured, shifting closer to her, as well, his heart speeding up a little at her nearness. He could feel the warmth of her skin close to his own and the desire to reach out and touch her was nearly uncontrollable.

"Like I said," she whispered, watching him closely, "I'm safe."

Oliver reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear without thinking about it.

With a deep breath, she smiled a little at him, "if you ever need help with anything, all you have to do is let me know, even if I can't be here, I will send someone."

"Guess I can't call you Sidekick anymore, can I?" His voice was light, teasing, although it was weighed down by a hint of sadness.

"Another nickname I haven't heard in a very long time," she admitted quietly, trying to keep her voice light.

"I missed you," he told her almost inaudibly.

She blinked, raising her eyebrows slightly, "you did?"

Oliver nodded slightly. "Yes."

"You don't have to anymore," she told him, unsure of what to say, she never imagined Oliver would have missed her, "you can call me anytime."

He blew out a breath, hesitating a moment, and then sliding his arms around her in a hug.

Chloe's eyes widened and it took her a second to reciprocate the hug, but she did wrap her arms around him too. 

Oliver closed his eyes, resting his chin atop her head as he held her. "I'm glad you're okay."

She turned her face so her ear was pressed against his chest, "I'm happy to see you again."

His arms tightened around her slightly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she whispered, looking towards the window and staying close for a moment before pulling back gently, "it's nice to be around a familiar face."

He did his best to ignore the disappointment he felt as she pulled away from him. "Yeah, it is."

Chloe smiled softly at him then turned around and reached to turn off the device, "it might block incoming calls, depending on the source, we don't want your friend not to be able to reach you."

"Oh. Right. Nifty device," he commented.

"It's the best scrambler you will find," she told him.

"Bet Vic could build a better one," he teased.

She paused and raised her eyebrows, smiling at Oliver softly, "he might be able to."

Oliver started to say something else when his cell phone rang. He smiled a bit and moved to pick it up. "Hello?"

"I have sent you all the information you requested."

He rolled his eyes at the deep voice on the other end of the line. "Appreciated. I'll look it over and get back with you."

Chloe watched Oliver curiously as he spoke, not really concerned with the identity of Oliver's source, but curious about what the other person might have to offer.

There was a grunt of agreement on the other side and a pause, "I want updates on what you find, this man is responsible for deaths in my city too."

"I understand," he said, this time his expression grim. "I'll contact you when I know more."

"We'll talk when you're alone," and without another word, the line went dead.

He blinked, cocking his head to the side as he pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a long moment. "How the hell does he do that?" he grumbled under his breath.

Chloe cocked her head and raised her eyebrows, looking at Ollie, "does what?"

Oliver paused and turned to look at her. "He knew I wasn't alone."

"Oh," Chloe frowned and cocked her head, "and you're sure you can trust him?"

A smile touched his lips and he nodded. "Yeah. He's trustworthy."

"As long as you think so," she smiled a little and nodded, "did he give you anything?"

"He said he sent me some things, so I assume that means I have new email," he said with a slight nod.

Chloe raised her eyebrows then nodded, "do you wanna go ahead and check then let me know if you think it's anything important?" She asked, not wanting to demand anything he wasn't comfortable with.

Oliver shook his head. "I just need to make sure there's no identifying info from his end. He's very vigilant about no one finding out who he is." He offered her a small smile and headed over to his computer.

"Okay," she told him, watching him walk away but not moving any closer, "let me know when you're ready."

He nodded, typing in his password and pulling up the email a few moments later. He wasn't surprised that the email was sent through an unknown account. "We're good." He waved her over.

She walked over to him and took a deep breath, looking down at the screen, "let's get to work."


	5. Chapter 5

**September 18, 2008**

Oliver stared blankly out the window where J’onn Jones had picked up Clark and quite literally, flown away. It took him a moment to gather his bearings and then he looked at the petite blond that sat only a couple feet away from him.

It had been _her_ disappearance, not Clark's, that had alerted him to the fact that something big had gone down in Kansas while he'd been doing his own thing in Star City.

"Chloe?"

Chloe was still staring up, out of the window, not really aware that Oliver was there, next to her for a full moment, then she blinked and looked over at him with wide eyes.

Oliver reached out and laid a hand on her arm. "Chloe? Are you all right?" 

All she did was stare at him for a long moment then she took a deep breath, "we have to get out of here," she told him, already moving to stand up, but pausing when she saw the blood in her hands.

"Don't," he said quickly, shifting closer to her and pulling her to her feet.

She dropped her hands and swallowed hard before looking around, "let's go."

"I need to get Dinah and AC," he told her.

"Where are they?" She asked, looking up at him, her eyes still wide.

 _She's in shock_ , he realized, stepping a little closer to her. "They're here. Captured. I can't leave them behind."

She nodded, looking up at him, "let's go get them, and leave, we can't stay here."

Worry flickered through his eyes. Part of him wanted to take her outside and secure her safely in the vehicle hidden out back, but there just wasn't time. "Can you watch my back?" 

Chloe nodded, her eyes wide still, "I'll do my best."

Nodding, he gave her arm a gentle squeeze before turning to head down the short staircase once more, drawing his crossbow again, and pulling his glasses back on, his hood back down. He just hoped there weren't any video cameras that had already captured his identity. 

That wouldn't be good for anyone involved. He glanced behind him to make sure Chloe was still there, then advanced down the corridor he'd come from only moments before, his heart still beating quickly in his chest. 

He'd shot Clark through the heart with an arrow.

She was keeping up with him as well as she could, of course, there wasn't much she could do if someone did come for them, with no weapons, no powers, she wasn't helpful, all she could do was keep her eyes and ears out for any guards.

Within a few minutes, they'd managed to retrieve Dinah and AC from the facility and made their way out of the place without any other problems. He climbed into the back of the van he and Clark had driven there, and helped Chloe up into it, as well, Dinah sliding in behind the wheel.

Chloe sat down in the back and took a deep breath, looking around as Dinah started to drive, there was no sign of Clark yet and her stomach turned at the thought that he might not come back.

"Hey." Oliver kept his voice low, but loud enough for her to hear him as he shifted closer to her, eyes checking her over quickly for any signs of injury. "Are you all right?"

Blinking, Chloe turned lo look at him again then down at herself, "yeah," she said quietly, before turning to look at him again, "are you?"

He nodded slightly, keeping his eyes on hers. "I'm fine," he told her, worry evident in his tone.

She looked away from him, out the window in the back of the van and took a deep breath.

Oliver hesitantly reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Chloe let out her breath and glanced at him again, "I wonder how long it will take."

"I don't know," he murmured, his stomach knotting as his mind flashed to Clark. _I killed him._ He flinched at the thought and looked down.

She noticed his reaction and shook her head, "you weren't in control, Oliver."

"I should have been." He looked out the window.

"The drug is much stronger than you think." she told him quietly.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, turning his head to look at her. "They used it on you, too?"

Nodding, she pursed her lips together.

Oliver nodded, as well and looked ahead, out the windshield. He glanced at the rearview mirror and met Dinah's eyes for a brief moment, then glanced at the passenger seat where AC was already fast asleep. Then he looked at Chloe once more. "I'm sorry it took us so long," he whispered.

She let out a breath and shook her head, looking down, "thank you for coming."

He watched her for a moment. "Chloe?"

Reluctantly, she lifted her head and turned to look at him once more.

He shifted closer to her, dropping his voice. "Are you sure you're all right? I hired a doctor for the team."

"I'm okay," she assured him, taking a deep breath, "just worried about Clark."

Somehow, he didn't quite believe her, but he wasn't going to push. At least not right then. "I'm glad you're safe," he told her quietly.

"I'm glad everyone got out," she told him, leaning back against the van and glancing out of the window again.

"Me too," he murmured.

* * *

"I think this might help," Chloe said quietly, mostly to herself as she looked over the print outs Oliver had gotten for them, a highlighter in hand as she went over the document, "I have a--" she stopped herself when she lifted her head to look at the other side of the couch, her face softening when she saw Oliver, his head leaning back against the couch, his mouth hanging open and his eyes closed, clearly in an exhausted sleep.

A soft snore escaped him, startling him out of his own sleep and he sat up, blinking a few times rapidly.

Chloe pursed her lips together and smiled a little, adjusting on her seat, "you should go to bed."

Oliver exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "No, we need to work," he murmured.

"Ollie, you're exhausted," she reached over and took the files he had on his lap from him, "I'll take these back with me and I'll go over them, you get some rest and give me a call when you wake up."

He reached down and caught her wrist in a gentle grasp. "You're all the way across the city. Why don't you just stay here too?" he suggested. "You can take the bed. I don't really feel like moving anyway."

Chloe paused and looked up at him, shaking her head softly, "you need to get some rest, you do have a baby to take care of, I'll be okay," she promised.

"I'd feel better if you stayed," he said softly.

Her expression softened once more and she took a deep breath, "okay, I'll stay, as long as you take the bed."

"Can't just let me be chivalrous, can you?" he teased.

"Nope," she said, smirking softly, "go to bed."

A smile quirked his lips. "Goodnight, Chloe."

"Night, Oliver," she told him quietly, smiling softly.

* * *

Oliver watched as she paced the floor of the small Talon apartment. "Chloe." His voice was quiet. "Stop."

With a deep breath, she tried to make herself calm down before turning to face him, "they've been gone too long, Oliver."

His eyes were filled with worry--partially from being concerned about her and the other part being worried about Clark. "No news is good news."

Chloe shook her head and rubbed her hands over her face, "no, Clark doesn't take this long to heal, he never has, he should be back by now."

He reached out and grasped onto her arms gently to keep her from pacing again. "Breathe," he said quietly.

She watched him for a moment then took a deep breath, pursing her lips together and looking away again.

"He's Clark. He'll be all right." He gazed at her intently.

Letting her breath out slowly, she glanced over at him, "he has to be."

"He will be," he said softly, offering her a reassuring smile. "He'll be fine." He slid his arms around her, pulling her close to him without really thinking about it.

Chloe stilled, then hesitated before lifting her arms and wrapping them around him too, her heart beating faster as she closed her eyes tightly.

Oliver hesitantly rested his head against hers, caught off guard by how perfectly she fit into his arms. At the way her head was tucked so perfectly under his chin.

She pressed her cheek against his chest and she could hear his heart beating quickly under her ear. She had been in that facility for such a long time and according to Oliver, he had been working overtime, had hired 'an army of lawyers' to help get her out, not that it would have mattered, but she was grateful he had come for her. The beating of his heart helped her relax a little and she leaned more into him without noticing.

He closed his eyes, relaxing a little more as she did, as well. He didn't even hear the door open behind them.

"Chloe!?" Jimmy was standing by the door, his eyes wide as he watched the two of them.

She hadn't heard the door either, but she did hear her name, even if it took her a moment to open her eyes and pull away from Oliver's comforting arms, she did so and turned to look at the door, "Jimmy..."

Oliver pulled away, as well, turning to look at the younger man as he let go of Chloe. He nodded slightly at Jimmy, falling silent even as he felt his chest tighten a little.

"You're okay," Chloe said quietly, walking over to him.

"I'm not the one who was kidnapped," he told her, stepping closer to her and not hesitating before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.

Oliver glanced away, reaching up to rub the back of his neck, and suddenly feeling incredibly out of place.

She returned the kiss, but pulled back shortly after, her eyes a little wide as she looked up at Jimmy, then glanced at where Oliver stood before looking up at Jimmy again, "Oliver helped me."

Jimmy nodded at Oliver and offered the other man a small smile. "Thanks for helping my girl," he said sincerely, keeping an arm around Chloe.

Oliver nodded again. "Of course. I should uh--I should get going." He met Chloe's eyes for a moment, then headed for the door.

"Thank you," Chloe told Oliver once more, holding her breath and his gaze as he started out of the apartment. She wanted to tell him they would talk later, but she didn't want Jimmy to be suspicious.

"You're welcome," he said softly, pausing at the door and nodding at her before leaving the apartment.


	6. Chapter 6

When Mia woke up the following morning, she was more than a little shocked to find Chloe sleeping on the couch, she was sure that either the woman would have left back to her hotel or wherever she was staying, or she would have ended up in Ollie's bed if the looks they were giving one another, or better, the looks Ollie was giving _Chloe_ during dinner were anything to go by.

She heard Oliver's whispers coming from the nursery and quietly made her way inside.

He was in the rocking chair, gently rocking Connor as he fed him a bottle. He heard Mia's quiet footsteps and looked up at her, a soft smile on his face. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she said, closing the door halfway behind her, "you _could_ have let her take the bed, you know."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Have a little faith in me, Kid. I offered. She refused."

"Just saying, that couch looks comfortable until you sleep on it for an entire night," Mia said with a shrug and walked closer, looking down at Connor.

"Preaching to the choir," he said quietly, looking at Connor, as well. "You sleep okay?"

"Yeah, that one didn't even wake me up once, what did you do, drug him?" She asked, raising her eyebrows and smirking.

He chuckled. "Considered it," he teased.

"Yeah, I have too, so I don't blame you."

Oliver looked up at her and grinned. "You hungry?"

"Try starving, I was gonna grab some pizza, but I didn't wanna wake sleeping beauty up." Mia told him.

He smiled faintly at that. "I'll fix you some pancakes after I finish feeding Connor," he answered.

"How about I finish up and you go start on those pancakes?" She suggested, raising her eyebrows.

He laughed softly and rose to his feet. "You really are hungry," he teased, carefully shifting Connor into her arms.

"Well," she said, adjusting the baby then taking the bottle, "I feed him for you, you feed me, sounds fair, right?"

"Sounds fair." He smiled at her and headed for the door.

Mia shrugged a little and sat down, smiling at Connor, "all this milk crap, just wait until you learn about maple syrup."

Oliver grinned at her comment and headed down the hallway, feeling more rested than he had in awhile. He paused in the living room, gazing at the sofa where Chloe lay sleeping. He quietly moved over to her side and gently draped the blanket from the back of the sofa over her before heading into the kitchen. Fortunately for him, Dinah had never been a morning person, and he'd learned how to make breakfast quietly so as not to disturb her. Because if you woke her up--even accidentally--she was not a fun person to be around.

Chloe stirred slightly and sighed deeply, snuggling back against the couch a little more.

He set about pulling out the ingredients to make pancakes, then mixing them together, pouring the batter onto the skillet and then waiting, glancing toward the living room once more as she slept.

The quiet little noises did eventually wake her up, not because it was bothering her, but she hadn't lived with anyone in five years and she wasn't used to having noises around, usually she woke up to the sound of her alarm or of her phone when someone called her from work with an emergency, but this was definitely different. She opened her eyes and stretched slowly, it took her a moment to figure out where she was, but when she did, the noises she'd been hearing also made sense, someone was cooking and she guessed it was Oliver.

Lifting her head slightly, she smiled sleepy when she saw him standing in the kitchen and realized she had been right.

He flipped the pancakes over once more then put them on three plates a few moments later, unaware that he was being watched. Then he put some butter and maple syrup onto the breakfast plates and quietly set them on the table, heading to the fridge to get out the milk.

Chloe stood up and stretched slowly, then took a few steps toward the kitchen, waking up to kitchen sounds and the smell of pancakes, there was something comforting about it, it reminded her of 'home' and she hadn't felt anything similar to that in a very long time, "it smells great." She told him quietly.

He turned, startled at her sudden appearance. "Morning." He smiled.

"Morning," she said quietly, unable to stop the yawn that followed and hurrying to cover her mouth.

Oliver leaned back against the counter, his eyes soft. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah," she said quietly, stretching her arms in front of herself, "did you?"

He nodded a little, watching her. "Sore?" he asked quietly.

Chloe rolled her shoulders and nodded a little, "I guess I slept funny on my side."

"The sofa's not that comfortable after about an hour," he told her with an apologetic smile.

"It was fine," she assured him, smiling a little, "you don't happen to have any coffee, do you?"

Oliver nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'll set some to brew," he told her, moving over to the coffee pot. "It's not the kind you're used to though."

"Please don't use the 'D' word..." she told him quietly, watching him as he moved around the kitchen.

"Hah. No, I just meant it's not the caramel mocha stuff," he told her with amusement.

Chloe let out a breath in relief and smiled a little, "black coffee is better in the mornings anyway."

He grinned at her as he poured her a cup of coffee and then handed her the cup and the sugar bowl.

"Thank you," she told him, taking both and setting them on the counter before putting three spoonfuls of sugar onto her coffee.

He watched her for a moment, then poured himself a cup of coffee, as well, taking a sip.

She watched him back as she sipped on her coffee a couple of times, then leaned back against the counter, "have you been up long?"

"About an hour," he told her with a slight shrug.

"Is Connor still asleep?" She asked quietly, watching him still.

"Mia's finishing feeding him his bottle," he explained.

Chloe nodded a little, "she is really good with him."

"Yes, she is," he agreed with a soft smile.

Chloe sipped on her coffee quietly for a moment longer, but kept her eyes on him, "are you okay?"

He paused at that, cocking his head to the side. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just checking," she told him, smiling a little.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said as she lifted her cup of coffee and smiled softly.

He was quiet for a moment, watching her. "Do you ever miss the way things used to be?"

Chloe paused at the question and considered for a moment, "I don't know," she said quietly, "sometimes I wonder what life would be like now if some things had gone differently, but I don't give it much thought." She looked at him, "do you?"

Oliver looked down at the floor for a moment. "Sometimes," he said quietly.

"What do you miss?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"Some days? All of it."

"The team? Metropolis?" She asked, "or your life before Green Arrow?"

"The first two," he admitted.

Chloe was quiet for a moment then shook her head, taking a step closer to him, "you don't have to miss either," she told him, "Metropolis is still there and I'm sure the team would be glad to hear from you."

Oliver smiled faintly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "No," he said quietly. "It's not my life anymore."

"It can be your life again, if you want it to," she said, raising her eyebrows, "with new additions."

"The eternal optimist," he teased.

"I try," she told him, smirking softly and finishing her coffee.

"More?" he offered.

Chloe cocked her head and raised her eyebrows, holding out her mug, "please."

He smiled and nodded, pouring her another cup of coffee.

"Thanks," she told him turning to add sugar to it, "after this, I need to get back."

His smile slipped a little, but he nodded. It wasn't like he could ask her to just move in or stay forever. "Yeah, I've got to put in an appearance at a board meeting later."

"Yeah, I need to get everything we got and send it out, then have some people working on this, see if we didn't miss anything," she told him, sipping on her coffee again, she already knew it was going to be a long, busy day, but at least, she felt like they might be closer to answers.

Oliver watched her for a moment, then finished off his own coffee. "Dinner again tonight?"

"Oh," Chloe paused and raised her eyebrows, "I'll get back to you? It depends on how work is."

"Right." He nodded a little.

"Sorry," she said quietly, "it's hard to tell how things are after half an hour, I'm afraid to check how it will be after over twelve."

"I know. You don't have to apologize."

Chloe nodded a little and smiled, sipping on her coffee again, "once it's done, I'll make sure we get to hang out more before I have to leave town."

He flinched at that, nodding and turning toward the fridge. "Good."

She watched him for a moment then back down at her coffee, sipping on it silently.

He paused, his back to her. "Chloe?"

"Yeah?" She answered quietly, watching his back.

"Are you happy?"

Blinking, Chloe stared at his back for a moment longer then blew out a breath, looking back down at her mug, "I have a purpose." She told him.

"Doesn't answer my question," he said softly, turning to look at her once more.

"I don't have an answer for you," she told him, lifting her head and glancing at him.

"If you don't have an answer, Chloe, that's kind of an answer in and of itself, isn't it?" he murmured.

Chloe didn't say anything, just looked at him. She didn't have anything to say, she wasn't happy, she wasn't miserable, she just... was. She was busy, she was working, she was moving. That was all she was.

His eyes were sad as he gazed at her. "Yeah," he whispered, looking down at the floor.

"I should go," she told him, turning toward the sink and placing her mug inside of it, "I'll call you later and let you know if I can make it to dinner."

"All right," he said quietly, nodding. "Be careful, Chloe."

"You too," Chloe swallowed before glancing at him and trying for a smile, "thanks for letting me stay."

"You're welcome anytime," Oliver told her.

"Thank you," she said once more then moved over to the living room, picking up the files, "I'll bring these back," she promised as she gathered the paper.

"I know you will," he said with a nod.

"I'll see you soon," Chloe promised quietly, turning her head up to look at him once more as she adjusted her purse over her shoulder.

Oliver drew in a deep breath and watched her go, worry etched on his face.

* * *

**October 2, 2008**

Chloe was sure she was going to mark the floor of Isis Foundation's main room soon with how much she'd been pacing, but she couldn't sit down and do nothing, and she couldn't help him either, so this was going to have to do.

A heavy sigh escaped him and he turned his head to the side, facing her, not opening his eyes. Even though Clark had gotten that antidote to him a little over an hour ago, he still felt like he'd been run over by a truck. He was burning up, but too exhausted to move. "Wearing a hole...in the floor, Sidekick."

She stilled for a second, then quickly turned around and rushed to his side, "you're awake," she breathed, relieved.

"Barely," he murmured, his breathing still not quite back to normal.

"Rest," she told him quietly, brushing her fingers over his hair without even thinking about it, "you still have a fever, but Davis said that was a good sign, you have to sweat it out."

He grimaced a little. "Sounds...pleasant." He let out a breath and managed to open his eyes. His vision was a little blurry at first, but he blinked a few times and found himself gazing at her.

She brushed the back of her hand over his forehead, feeling his temperature for a moment then pulled her hand back and pulled a chair closer to the bed, "you really scared us with this one."

"Sorry," he murmured, his eyelids already beginning to droop again.

"Here," she told him quietly, shifting even closer and lifting a bottle of water to his lips, "poison free."

Oliver lifted his head a little, taking a drink from the bottle without hesitation. He relaxed a little as the cool liquid washed away the sandpaper feeling in his mouth. "Thank you."

"Drink more," she told him, placing her free hand under his head and supporting it for him, "you are pretty dehydrated."

He leaned against her gratefully, drinking more of the water and letting his eyes close for a moment. "You would have made one hell of a nurse."

"I don't think helping you drink water is good enough to qualify me as one," she pointed out, pulling the bottle back once it was empty.

He laid his head back against the pillow, a small smile touching his lips as he opened his eyes once more. "You look pretty," he murmured.

Chloe raised her eyebrows and smiled a little, shaking her head, it figured Oliver would be a flirt even when he had just gone through a near death experience, "thanks. Now you should rest," she told him, helping him lay his head back down.

"Are you staying?" he asked softly, his eyes drifting shut.

"Yeah," she told him, brushing her fingers over his hair, relieved that he was talking at least, "I'm staying."

"Thank you," he whispered, relaxing at the light touch. "Best sidekick ever."

She smiled softly and dropped her hand, sighing deeply as she relaxed against her chair.

Oliver drifted back into unconsciousness within moments, knowing he was in good hands.


	7. Chapter 7

**Present day**

Oliver did his best not to let on how disappointed he was that Chloe hadn't called about dinner the previous night. He reasoned that there was a serial killer on the loose, and her priority wasn't having dinner with Star City's most eligible bachelor.

And frankly, his shouldn't have been her, either.

But he couldn't get her off his mind. He was, however, happy that he managed to complete patrol with no problems, and even though he'd sat up the rest of the night, dreading the idea of another victim in the morning, he was extremely happy when none was reported on the news that morning.

He'd passed out on his bed shortly after the news ended at 5:30 and he'd finished feeding Connor another bottle and rocking him to sleep.

It was barely seven when his telephone rang. He reached out without opening his eyes and pressed it to his ear. "'lo?"

"Ollie?" Chloe said quietly, "did I wake you?"

At the sound of her voice, he sat up a little, rubbing his free hand over his face. "No biggie. What's up?"

There was a pause before she spoke again, "I just wanted to let you know I had to leave town, there was an emergency."

Oliver fell silent for a moment, his chest tightening. "Oh."

"I wanted to stop by, but I didn't have time," she admitted quietly, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay, Chloe. Things happen. I get that better than most," he assured her. "Don't worry about it." He paused. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she told him, "it's just work, I'm needed in DC, but I plan on making my way back to California once I straighten things out."

He ignored the surge of hope he felt rush through him. "Oh? Okay, well, uh, if you need a place to stay, you're welcome to stay here instead of some hotel."

"Thank you, but it's okay, we're keeping the rental until the end of the investigations," she said, "it's not bad."   
"Oh. Right. All right." He bit his lip, raking a hand through his hair.

"I'm having a key to the place delivered to your office," she told him, "I didn't want to risk sending the papers, but this way, you can go pick them up."

"Okay," he said, nodding even though she couldn't see him. "Appreciate that."

"No problem, I didn't want you to not have access to them, I also printed out some other things I thought might be helpful," Chloe added.

A small smile touched his lips. "You've always been great at being incredibly thorough."

Chloe smiled a little, even though she knew he couldn't see it, "I try," she paused, "but there is something else I wanted to talk to you about..."

He paused at that, suddenly feeling uncertain. "All right, shoot."

"If you find anything, will you let me know before you go after this guy?" She asked, her voice tenser than before.

Oliver could practically feel her tension over the line. "Worried about me?" he teased, his voice light as he tried to lift her suddenly serious mood.

"This guy is dangerous, Oliver," she told him, "and even if I'm not there, I still have plenty of people in town who can and will help you."

He sighed inwardly, and rubbed his hand over his face. "I'll call."

"Thank you," she told him, letting out a breath, "I'll keep you updated if they find anything else."

"I appreciate that," he responded, hesitating. "That won't get you in trouble, right?"

"No one needs to know," she told him, "if needed, I will get them to contact your alter ego."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "All right."

"I-- will tell you more if necessary," she promised, lowering her voice.

"You don't owe me anything, Chloe," he said just as quietly. "You know that, right?"

There was a pause and Chloe took a deep breath, "it's not about owing you anything, I just want to make sure you are safe."

"And I appreciate that," he murmured.

"Just be careful," she told him.

"Careful's practically my middle name."

"Good," Chloe took a deep breath and glanced out of the window of the small plane, she could already see DC down below, "I have to go, we'll be landing soon."

"All right. Well, I hope everything goes okay in DC," he told her. "Let me know when you get back to the city."

"I will, see you soon," she said quietly, she had no way of knowing when 'soon' would be. She just hoped it was sooner rather than later.

"See you," he murmured, reluctantly shutting his phone and staring at it for a long moment before setting it back down and flopping back onto the mattress.

* * *

**November 6, 2008**

Chloe watched as Clark disappeared and wiped the blood from her face, blinking and turning to look around the room when she realized Oliver wasn't there, her eyes widening when she saw him laying on the floor of the next room, seemingly unconscious. "Oliver?" She called, vaguely remembering pushing him away, guilt washing over her instantly, "Oliver?" She called again, her heard beating fast against her chest as she knelt down on the floor next to him.

He groaned as his head throbbed from where he'd whacked it on the hard floor and he winced as he opened his eyes. "Hope someone got the name of that truck," he mumbled.

She winced, but relaxed slightly when he opened his eyes, "just... lay down, you'll have to get up slowly."

Oliver blinked a few times and found himself seeing two of her for a moment before his vision returned to normal. "What the hell happened?"

"It worked," she smiled a little, trying for comforting, "Clark is back."

He rubbed a hand over his face as he sat up slowly, wincing. "Great. So where's Chloe Sullivan?"

Chloe frowned, sitting back on her heels, "maybe you did hit your head harder than I thought."

He gave her a look. "You mean when you threw me across the room one-handed after your rather impressive imitation of the Exorcist?"

"I told you to step back," she tried, raising her eyebrows and shifting to stand up, she needed distance.

Oliver rose to his feet slowly, watching her intently. "What's going on with you?"

"It's nothing, it's my new power," she told him, turning her back to him and walking toward the device she had just hacked.

"Hacking alien crystals with your mind and super strength?" He followed her.

Chloe picked up the crystal and looked down at it, she could hardly believe she had been able to do it, but it didn't matter, "I didn't know I had the strength," she admitted before turning to look at him, "but it doesn't matter, Oliver, what matters is that it worked and Clark is back, if I didn't have this power, we would never have been able to bring him back."

"Chloe, I'm glad Clark's back and safe. I am. But aren't you even the least bit concerned about what this power's doing to _you_?" He shook his head.

" _Doing_ to me?" She asked, frowning at him, "I'm _strong_ , Oliver and I can hack any computer I can put my hands on, human or kryptonian, those are hardly bad qualities to have."

Oliver moved closer to her, reaching out and resting his hands on her shoulders as he gazed at her. "Chloe, your eyes turned _white_. And you were _bleeding_. Regardless of what you can do with it, this is serious. We don't know what it might be doing to you."

She took a step back, pulling away from his touch, "I'm fine, I feel fine, I just had to concentrate, Oliver."

His eyes were filled with worry. "You can't tell me you're not the least bit scared about this."

"No, I'm not," she lied, jaw tightening, "this is _helpful_ , that's what matters."

"Your _life_ matters, Chloe!"

"I'm _fine_ , Oliver!"

"No. You're not." His voice dropped. "I want to set you up an appointment with Dr. Hamilton."

"Yes, I am," she told him, her jaw tightening stubbornly, "you are not making me do anything, Oliver, if you can accept the rest of your team having powers, you will have to accept mine."

Oliver stared at her. "This isn't about the rest of the team. This is about you having powers that are obviously having some kind of negative effect on you, Chloe."

"Negative? I can handle a nosebleed," she told him, "my previous power _killed_ me, this is a step up."

"Whoa-- _what_?" He froze, his face paling a little.

"There's obviously a lot you don't know, Oliver, so why don't you stick to things you do understand?" She said coolly.

At that, his eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "There's a lot I don't know because the people I'm supposed to trust don't feel the need to do the same," he said evenly, turning and heading for the door. "We're not done talking about this."

"Yes, we are." She said tightly, but didn't try to stop him.

"Oh, no. We're not. Not by a long shot." He turned to look at her once more, pinning her with an intense stare before walking out of the office and slamming the door shut behind him.

Chloe winced at the door, her jaw so tight, her teeth were starting to hurt. Letting out a deep breath, she looked back down at the crystal, her stomach turning, she had questions and fears of her own to worry about. Oliver would hopefully forget about this whole thing by the next time they saw each other.

* * *

**Present day**

Oliver was nearly finished with patrol when he heard the scream. He froze for a moment, listening to the sound to determine where it had come from. From the West. He quickly made his way across the rooftop and jumped to the next one, pushing himself harder when the scream came again, closer this time. He pulled his crossbow out and fled to the next roof, landing easily on his feet and standing on the ledge, looking down to the alley below. A large man wearing a hood towered over a woman cowered in the corner of the alley, a large blade in his hand. 

Without hesitation, he sent the arrow flying threw the air, knocking the blade from the man's hand even as he jumped down below. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

"Look who is here..." the man said under his mask but stepped closer to the woman, lifting his knife to her stomach.

His heart began to beat a little faster in his chest as he looked at the frightened woman. He nocked another arrow into his bow. "Where's the challenge in going after someone who isn't armed?"

"You are," without another second's hesitation, he slid the blade through the woman's stomach then pulled it back out, blood dripping from it.

Without further hesitation, Oliver was at the man's side, punching him hard in the face and knocking him backwards.

The man swayed slightly, but rushed forward in less than a second, his arm pressing against Oliver's neck as he pushed him back against the alley's wall, "take that back, you won't be a challenge at all."

He grimaced at the pressure on his neck and without thinking twice, he slammed his knee into the man's groin.

But he saw it coming and just before there was contact, he grabbed Oliver's knee and pushed it down, "not fast enough."

Which was when Oliver used the opportunity to slam his head into the other man's, effectively loosening the guy's grip on his throat. He grabbed one of the arrows from his quiver, gritting his teeth as his vision swam from the impact.

He groaned then straightened a moment later, staring at Oliver and adjusting the knife in his hand.

Oliver's jaw tightened, as did his grip on the arrow in his hand.

All the man did was stare at Oliver for a second and then, before he could blink, the man raised his knife and moved the blade to Oliver's right shoulder.

Hot, fiery pain shot through him as he felt the sharp blade cutting into him but he shoved the arrow into the man's arm as hard as he could, falling back against the brick wall a moment later.

"Like I said," he spoke, amusement in his voice even if it couldn't been seen on his features because of his mask. He slid his fingers over the blade, cleaning the blood off of it, "no challenge at all."

Oliver's breath hitched in his throat as he became dimly aware of the man moving away from him and back toward the woman. "Don't," he whispered, wincing as he heard her scream. 

And then the world went black.


	8. Chapter 8

Mia had been looking all over town for him, when he didn't show back up or answer her over communicator, she knew something was wrong. She had tried the only person she could think of for help: Dinah, but she hadn't answered, so Mia left a communicator by Connor's crib, so she could hear if he cried, put on her costume and got out.

Rooftop after rooftop, she followed the route Oliver usually took while on patrol and over an hour later, she finally saw something.

His boots, on the floor, coming out of an alley. It was the only thing she could see from the roof, so Mia quickly made her way down to the street level, "Arrow?" She called, even as she ran up to him.

Oliver lay still and silent, a pool of blood beneath the upper half of his body from the wound in his shoulder.

Mia gasped, her eyes wide when she saw him, so much blood, but the other person laying there told Mia it wasn't all Oliver's. She made her way to his side and knelt down, reaching for his neck, he still had a pulse, "Oliver, can you hear me?" She asked, looking around then back down at him.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly as her voice pulled him toward consciousness. "Mia?"

"Yeah, c'mon," she told him, "we need to get out of here."

Oliver struggled to sit up with her help, his head spinning as he opened his eyes, looking over at the woman who lay dead just a few feet away. "Son of a bitch."

"Who was it?" She asked, looking at the woman too and secretly being grateful that Oliver wasn't the one who had been killed.

"I don't know," he murmured, grimacing as pain shot through his shoulder.

"We need to get you back, we'll figure out the rest later," she told him, doing her best to keep it together.

He gritted his teeth as she wound her arm around his waist, helping him to his feet. He leaned against her shoulder gratefully. "Connor?"

"He's sleeping," Mia told him, looking up at Oliver, "we need to call your doctor, though."

"He's on a mission with AC," he told her. "Just help me get a cab and you go home."

Mia's eyes widened, "on your uniform? No way! Where is your bike?"

He grimaced. "Right. Uniform." Apparently along with the blood loss, he'd hit his head harder than he'd thought. "A few blocks North."

"Okay," Mia tightened her arm around him to help support him better, "just keep moving."

"It doesn't make sense," he murmured as they walked.

"What doesn't?" Mia asked, keeping her eyes around, making sure no one was coming after them.

"He had the perfect opportunity to kill me. Why didn't he take it?"

Mia swallowed hard, her eyes widening at the thought, "I don't know, but remind me to send him a thank you card."

Oliver glanced at her, resting his head against hers for a brief moment, then forcing himself to straighten and keep walking. "Almost there."

"Is it just your shoulder?" Mia asked, looking up at him, but didn't stop walking, the sooner they got back, the better, even if she had no idea what to do with him when they did get home.

"And a splitting headache," he answered, grimacing.

"We need to get you a doctor, though," she told him, sighing in relief as she saw the bike. 

She wasn't wrong, he thought, sinking onto the bike with relief. "I think that's going to entail me asking for help from an old friend," he murmured.

"Who?" Mia asked with a frown then held out her hand, "and there is no way you can drive like this."

He arched an eyebrow, not sure _why_ he was surprised that she knew how to drive a bike. He grimaced, reaching into his pocket and holding the keys out to her. "His name's Bart."

"Okay and how can this Bart help?" Mia asked, climbing onto the bike with ease and waiting for him to do the same.

Oliver smirked a little, then bit back a string of curses as he climbed onto the bike behind her, pain shooting through his shoulder and head. "Let's just say he can get Dr. Hamilton back here very quickly." If the younger man would even speak to him, that was.

"You could just send your jet, you know?" Mia told him, "just hold on."

He shut his eyes, his head dropping forward to rest against his chest as he held onto her with his uninjured arm.

Mia took a deep breath and adjusted on the bike before taking off, not going very fast since she didn't want to make his injury worse, luckily, they weren't very far.

Less than fifteen minutes later, she was helping him into the suite and he griamced as he heard Connor screaming loudly. He sank down onto the sofa, feeling dizzy and nauseous. "Kid's got one hell of an appetite," he mumbled. 

"I'll get him," Mia said, looking at Oliver, "you talk to that friend of yours," even as she spoke, she picked up Oliver's phone and handed it to him.

"Thanks, Mia," he murmured, taking the phone from her.

"Just hurry up," she told him, looking at his shoulder once more before going into the bedroom, to wash her hands before taking care of Connor. It was better than staring at Oliver and not being able to do anything anyway.

Oliver forced himself to take a deep breath, wondering if Bart even had the same phone number he'd had from years ago. If not, he was out of luck. Grimacing, he scanned down the list of numbers until he found the one labeled 'Impulse.' He hit send and waited, pressing the phone to his ear and shutting his eyes tightly.

"'Llo?" Bart said into the phone, sleepily.

He hesitated a moment. "Bart?"

His eyes widened at the voice and he sat up, looking at the phone and frowning as he saw the name on the screen, "Oliver?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's me." He gritted his teeth, doing his best to ignore the pain throbbing in his shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"Sorry to bother you," Oliver said honestly. "I kind of need a favor."

Bart was quiet for a moment, "yeah, what's up?"

"I don't suppose you know where AC's latest mission is?"

"Oh," Bart frowned, "yeah, he's down south."

"Dr. Hamilton's with him. You think you could run him here to Star City?" He shut his eyes, holding his breath for a moment and then looking down at his shoulder.

"Yeah," Bart paused, "how bad is it?"

"Not life-threatening, but not exactly pleasant," he admitted.

"Okay," Bart sighed, "I'll be there soon."

"Thanks, Bart," Oliver said quietly. "Really."

"Sure," he told Oliver, "see you soon," he said quickly before hanging up.

He hung up the phone, letting out a shuddering breath and rising to his feet with a pained grimace. He headed down the hallway, leaning heavily against the doorframe to the nursery. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Mia looked up from Connor and frowned, "what are you doing up? Go sit down, I got this."

"I need drugs," he informed her, pushing away from the doorframe and heading across the hall to the bathroom.

"Then you're sitting back down and not moving until the doctor gets here!" Mia called after him.

Despite the pain, a small smile tugged at his lips. "Okay, Mom!" he called back.

"Gross," Mia said, looking back down at the baby as she tilted the bottle a little more.

He opened the medicine cabinet and quickly located a bottle of Vicodin that was leftover from the last time he'd been injured. He shook two out and swallowed them down dry, heading back down the hallway as the doorbell rang.

Dr. Hamilton waited for someone to open the door, he glanced down at Bart, "do you know anything?"

Bart just frowned and shook his head, "no, just that it isn't life threatening."

Oliver bit his lip as he slowly headed to the door, suddenly wondering if calling Bart had been such a good idea after all. It had been years since he'd seen or talked to anyone from the team. He hesitantly reached out and pulled the door open. "Hey guys."

Once he made sure Oliver seemed okay enough, Bart turned to Emil, "I gotta go, but let me know if you need a ride back."

"Bart, wait," he said hesitantly, guilt sweeping over him.

Bart stopped and crossed his arms over his chest then looked at Oliver.

He swallowed hard, stepping aside. "There's a ton of food in the fridge."

After a moment's consideration, Bart shook his head, "I'm good, thanks." He looked at Emil, "just give me a call."

Emil nodded a little at Bart then made his way into the apartment.

"I'm sorry," Oliver said quietly, his voice just barely loud enough for Bart to hear.

Bart hesitated for a second then sped away without turning around.

With a sigh, Emil shook his head a little then looked at Oliver, "what happened?"

He shut his eyes, then turned around slowly, feeling bad for a whole new reason now. "Got stabbed," he responded evenly.

"Let me look at it," he said quietly, motioning to one of the chairs.

He moved over to sit down. "Sorry to have bothered you." His voice was just as quiet.

"It's okay," Emil assured him, opening his bag and starting to clean the wound, "and Bart will be okay."

"Yeah," he murmured. "He just hates me. Not that I really blame him."

"Of course he doesn't," Emil said with a shrug, "he was probably just worried."

Oliver fell silent, looking down at the floor. "How've you been?" he asked quietly.

"Not too busy," he told Oliver, getting ready to stitch up the wound, "which is always good."

"So does that mean the others have been all right?" His voice grew even quieter, and he grimaced as the needle pierced his skin.

"They are doing okay," he said with a nod, adjusting his glasses as he focused on his work.

Oliver fell silent, closing his eyes.

Emil let the silence stretch on as he finished up with the wound, "it's deep, so it will be a while for it to heal, but it doesn't look too bad."

"Thanks," he said quietly, starting a little when he heard Connor begin to cry again.

The doctor raised his eyebrows and turned to look toward the source of the noise.

"I got it!" Mia called, walking back into the nursery from her room, where she had gone to change.

"Thanks, Mia," he called back, glancing at Emil. "My son."

"Son?" Emil asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Connor," he supplied, studying the other man. "He's teething. It makes him fussy."

"I see," he smiled a little, "cold water and cold food helps ease the pain."

Oliver relaxed a bit. "Yeah, we've been freezing his pacifier. It seems to help."

"Also a good idea," Emil said with a nod, he'd leaned not to ask questions a long time ago, he would find answers eventually, naturally.

He smiled. "It was Mia's."

"Smart girl," he said with a nod.

"Yeah, she is." Oliver rose to his feet slowly. "How are things going with the mission?"

"Well," he said with a nod, "should be only a couple more days."

"That's good. I'm glad things are going all right," he said sincerely.

"How are things here?" He asked as he started to put his things back in his bag.

Oliver was silent for a moment. "There's a serial killer in the city," he admitted. "So, not so great."

"I read," he admitted, "do you think you might need help?"

He hesitated, then shook his head. "No."

"Let them know if you feel differently," Emil told him, "I have no doubt they would be willing to help."

"I have no doubt you're right," he said quietly. "They're good guys."

"So are you," Emil patted his good shoulder, "I should go, I want to have breakfast here before going back."

"There's food in the fridge and you're welcome to the sofa," Oliver offered.

"Thank you," he smiled a little at Oliver, "but I'm getting the breakfast tacos on Ocean, they don't make them that good anywhere else."

He nodded slightly. "Thanks for coming."

"Anytime," he assured him as he picked up his bag.

Oliver watched him head for the door. "Take care, Emil."

"You too, Oliver," he smiled and nodded before making his way outside.

He raked a hand through his hair, then glanced over to where his phone lay on the sofa. Drawing in a breath, he moved over to pick it up. He dialed her number without thinking about how much later it was on the East Coast.

"Hello?" Chloe answered on the second ring, already fully awake.

"Chloe? It's me."

"Oliver?" She frowned, checking on the clock, "you heard?"

He paused. "Heard what?" he asked.

It was her turn to pause, "another woman has been killed."

He shut his eyes, guilt sweeping over him as he realized he'd forgotten about it while he'd been occupied with his own injuries. "I know." He swallowed hard. "I was there."

"You were?" Chloe's eyes widened and she stood up from her seat, "did you see anything? Are you okay?"

"You could say we got rather up close and personal," he said vaguely.

"What happened?" The worry was obvious in her voice now.

"I couldn't stop him," he admitted almost inaudibly. "I tried."

"Ollie, it's not your fault," Chloe told him instantly, "I have dozens of people in town, looking for him and no one even saw anything out of the ordinary."

He appreciated the attempt at solace. But deep down he knew the truth: he was off his game. By a lot. And a woman--more than one, in fact--was dead because of it. "There was something almost familiar about him but I can't put my finger on it."

"I'm flying back," Chloe told him, "we'll figure it out together."

Oliver shut his eyes and exhaled slowly. "All right."

"Are you hurt?" She asked, her voice quieter than before.

"I'm okay," he told her.

"Okay," Chloe took a deep and sat back down, "I will see you soon."

"Have a safe flight, Chloe," he said quietly. "See you when you get back."

"Stay safe," she told him, silent for a moment before hanging up.

"Too late," he murmured, hanging up his phone as well.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been a long flight and an even longer night, Chloe had been woken up around five when one of her men warned her about the new body that had been found, she had barely had enough time to get done with the meetings she had gone to DC for and already had to fly back, but it didn't matter, stopping this murderer was more important.

As soon as she left the airport, she made her way to Oliver's penthouse, she knew he had gotten hurt by their quick conversation, so she wanted to check on him as well as ask him if he had any information that could be helpful.

With a deep breath, she knocked on the door and waited.

A few moments later and footsteps approached the door, along with the sound of a baby wailing at top volume. The door opened and Dinah Lance, looking very frustrated and not the least bit happy, stood there, not surprised to see Chloe on the doorstep. "Heard you were in town."

"Dinah, hi." Chloe raised her eyebrows and smiled a little, clearly surprised, "I just got back, actually, I was away for a few days."

"I see." She stepped aside to let Chloe inside, grimacing as Connor continued to shriek. "Come in."

Chloe winced and walked into the penthouse, placing her purse over the dining room table since it was the nearest surface, "not having much luck with him?"

"Understatement of the century." She sighed heavily. "I changed him, I fed him, I gave him that damn pacifier and nothing seems to work. And Oliver's so out of it with painkillers, he's useless."

"Did Mia go to school? She's usually really good with him," Chloe said, frowning as she watched the baby, his little face red from the crying.

"She went to get more formula. They're almost out." Dinah bounced the infant impatiently.

"Do you want me to take him for a while?" Chloe offered hesitantly, looking at the baby, unsure of how to even begin to help him.

Dinah didn't hesitate before thrusting Connor out toward Chloe with a raised eyebrow. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Chloe said, taking him carefully and hoping she wasn't making matters worse, "how is Oliver?" She asked, loud enough to be heard over the crying.

She shrugged. "He'll live," she said neutrally. "I'm here because Mia called."

Connor wound one of his hands in Chloe's hair, his screams calming to whimpers.

Chloe blinked and her eyes widened as she looked down at Connor, mostly shocked that he was calming down as he stared up at her with big, teary eyes, "hey, it's okay," she tried, cuddling him closer and cocking her head so he could reach her hair better.

He laid his head down on her shoulder, his eyes drifting shut.

"Figures," Dinah muttered. "Like father, like son."

She couldn't help the soft smile that appeared on her lips when Connor relaxed against her, for someone with no baby experience, she figured that was pretty good, but at Dinah's words, Chloe looked away from the little boy and over at Dinah, "what do you mean?"

"You honestly have no idea?" She raised one eyebrow.

"No?" Chloe said, frowning a little and watching Dinah, "what is it?"

A short, humorless chuckle escaped her. "I always knew deep down he was a coward."

"What are you talking about, Dinah?" Chloe asked her once more, confused but she kept her voice down not to disturb Connor who was already breathing evenly and calmly against her chest and shoulder.

"Oliver. He's in love with you, Chloe. He just doesn't have the balls to tell you," she said evenly.

Chloe stilled and all she could do was stare at Dinah for a moment, then shake her head, "Dinah... I know you're going through a rough time with everything that is going on between you and Oliver, but it's not like that between us."

"Good," she said simply. "It'll be a nice wake up call for him when the one woman he's pined after for years isn't interested."

Shaking her head, Chloe sighed and adjusted Connor carefully, "you're hurting, and I understand that, but Oliver and I hadn't spoken since Davis, you are just imagining things."

"Yes, I'm certain it's another Chloe that he talks about in his sleep," Dinah replied sarcastically.

At that, Chloe's eyes widened and her stomach tightened a little, she looked down at the baby, unsure of what to say or do, "it's not like that," she repeated, regardless of what Dinah chose to believe in her anger, Chloe doubted Oliver had or would ever see her that way, which was okay for her. He had his family, he had people who cared about him, people to come home to. He wasn't alone, even without Dinah, and she would just go back to her life once this case was over. No strings was better for everyone when it came to her and her life.

"Oh, Chloe. When did you become so damned naive?" She rolled her eyes, heading for the door. "Do yourself a favor and get the hell out of town before you let him steal your heart. All he'll do is break it. It's what he's good at," she said bitterly, shutting the door behind her none-too-quietly as she left.

"Dinah, wait," Chloe called, wincing as the door slammed shut loudly and sighing in relief when Connor stirred but didn't wake up, she didn't know what she would do if he started crying again. Shaking her head, she walked over to the couch and sat down, cuddling the sleeping boy close. She would wait there until Mia got back and she would give Dinah a call later, once she left. She understood heartbreak well, and she knew Dinah was in pain and that that was why she was saying those things, but she didn't want Dinah to resent her over things that didn't exist.

* * *

He was burning up. He kicked the blankets off him wearily, getting to his feet with much less speed than usual. He quickly leaned against the wall as dizziness washed over him. Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he rubbed a hand over his face and headed toward the bathroom. He turned the cold water on and splashed some on his face, grimacing as he looked in the mirror. He looked like hell. A massive bruise had formed on his head overnight, and there was a cut under his right eye.

Great.

He slowly made his way out of the bathroom once more and down the hall toward the nursery. When he peeked his head in and didn't see Connor in the crib or Mia anywhere in sight, he continued his way down the hall toward the living room. "Mia?"

Chloe was still sitting on the couch, she couldn't feel her left arm anymore, but she didn't want to move and risk waking Connor up. Besides, if she was honest with herself, she was enjoying sitting there with him, there was something calming about watching the little blond. When Oliver called out for Mia, though, she looked up, her chest immediately tightening when her eyes fell on him, "she should be back soon," Chloe told him, studying the cuts and bruises on his face, his shoulder and then... his chest. His bare chest, which she was suddenly staring at.

"Chloe?" His eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

Blinking, she focused on his face again, adjusting the baby gently as well as she could with no feeling on one arm, "yeah, I didn't want to wake you..."

"No, I'm just...surprised to see you," he murmured. "Weren't you in DC?"

"Yeah," she told him, "I told you I was flying in, I just got back about an hour ago."

"Oh." He frowned a little and rubbed the back of his neck.

A soft smile appeared on her lips as she watched him, "I guess you had already taken some drugs when we spoke, huh?"

"Apparently. I don't remember talking to you on the phone," he admitted tiredly.

"You seem exhausted," Chloe said quietly, glancing down when Connor stirred, "go lay back down, everything is okay."

"You sure?" He gazed at her, his chest tight at the sight of her holding his son.

"Yeah," she told him, "Connor passed out and Mia should be back soon," Chloe explained, watching Oliver closely. She wanted to ask a lot of questions, but now wasn't the time.

"Thank you," he said quietly, meeting her gaze for a moment. A small, faint smile touched his lips. "Told you he liked you."

Chloe shrugged a little and smiled, looking down at the baby again, "I guess I can't argue with that one."

"Thanks again, Chloe," he murmured.

"Rest," she told him, "I'll be around when you wake up so we can talk."

Nodding, he turned slowly and headed down the hall once more, all but collapsing into bed when he reached it, burying his face in his pillow.

* * *

**November 20, 2008**

Chloe had been staring at herself in the mirror for a long time now, trying to process the fact that the woman in white was actually _her_ , she never imagined she would get married, she didn't really want to when she was younger. Her parents had split up, her aunt had passed away and left her uncle alone, marriage didn't sound like a good idea as far as she knew because one of the two people was always left behind, alone and heartbroken.

But the surprise proposal from Jimmy, followed by the kidnapping, her powers and all the uncertainty that came with them made her say yes. She had never imagined anyone would ever _ask_ her to marry them, let alone someone who knew about her healing ability and accepted her for that, someone she could honestly consider telling the truth about her new power and even eventually about her secret life.

It was more than a lot of the other people she knew who lead double lives could say they were lucky to have, besides, Jimmy meant _normal_ and one day, she would want just that.

At that moment there was a knock on the door.

Chloe blinked and glanced toward it, "unless you're Jimmy, come in." She called.

Oliver stepped into the Talon apartment and glanced around, pausing when he caught sight of her. "Wow," he murmured.

She couldn't help but grin shyly when he looked at her, "hey," she said quietly, "thanks for offering to drive me to the farm, or I guess I should say for letting Lois twist your arm into it."

His eyebrows furrowed a little at that. "I can assure you, no arm twisting was involved," he said with a small smile. "I'm happy to do it." He paused. "You look stunning."

"Thank you," she told him, grinning a little more and looking down at her dress as she smoothed her hands over it, "hopefully I'll get there with the dress in one piece."

"You will. Promise." He grinned at her, moving a little closer.

"My hero," she teased, her voice light as she tried to calm herself down and ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

His eyes were bright as he gazed at her. "You nervous?"

"That obvious, huh?" She asked, a bright, clearly nervous grin on her lips as she shifted on to the balls of her feet for a second, she still had to find her shoes.

"Not at all, actually." He smiled at her. "That's why I asked. You seem extremely calm."

"Oh, good," she took a deep breath and smiled up at him, her eyes bright, "it's working then."

"What is?" he asked curiously, searching her eyes.

"My attempt to pretend I'm calm," she told him, cocking her head and taking a couple of steps closer so she could lower her voice, "don't tell anyone the truth, I managed to fool all of them so far."

A smile tugged at his lips. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me," he assured her.

"Thank you," she told him, grinning once more.

Oliver grinned back at her involuntarily. "You need anything?" he asked.

"My shoes?" She said, embarrassed, "I can't bend down in this thing and Lois tied me up in it before she left except I completely forgot were we put them and I can't really look for it since I'm afraid to move and step on the dress and rip it or trip and fall on my face and get a bloody nose and-- I'm babbling, sorry."

He stepped closer to her. "Deep breath," he said gently. "You're gonna be fine. And I'll get your shoes."

Chloe did as instructed and took a deep breath, smiling up at him, "thank you, Oliver."

"Not a problem. It's one of my many talents," he teased. "Right up there with vaulting from rooftop to rooftop in green leather."

"I'll remember that," she teased back, taking another deep breath, "whenever I misplace shoes, I'll know who to call."

He reached out and laid a hand on her arm gently. "At your beck and call," he responded with a wink, hoping to distract her from her nervousness.

"Goes both ways," she told him quietly, smiling up at him, "except I'm not good with the shoe finding missions, I can just assist you in other matters."

Oliver held her gaze, smiling softly. "I hope Jimmy knows how lucky he is," he said sincerely.

Chloe paused at his words, her face softening and her cheeks turning pink, she held his gaze back and nodded slightly, smiling up at him.

He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "I should find those shoes," he told her with a soft smile.

"Thanks," she told him quietly then took another deep breath as he walked away, "I think they are under the couch."

"Do you normally hide your shoes under the couch?" he asked in amusement, determined to do his best to keep her anxiety at bay.

"What, you don't?" She teased.

Oliver chuckled. "I generally keep mine by the door."

"I keep mine wherever I take them off," she told him, grinning softly, "I like to think of the apartment as an extension of my closet."

"Something you and your cousin have in common," he teased, locating her shoes and picking them up.

"Just another thing to add to the list," Chloe told him, "although, Lois is worse than I am."

"Oh, I know," he said with a smirk. He moved to her side and then knelt down in front of her. "Okay, pick up your dress."

Grinning softly, she took a deep breath and reached down, picking up her skirt enough, "thanks, I don't think I could find my feet."

"Well, they are tiny," he teased her, sliding one of her shoes on and glancing up at her with a grin.

She blushed again and raised her eyebrows, still grinning, "they are not that bad..."

Oliver's grin widened a little and he slid her other shoe on her foot, as well. "I think they're just right."

Chloe lost her balance a little and placed a hand on his shoulder to steady herself, "now the torture officially begins."

"Easy," he murmured, reaching out and resting a hand on her hip to help steady her, as well.

"Thanks," she said again, looking down at him, she felt like she couldn't stop thanking him, but she really was grateful for the help.

Oliver met her eyes and nodded a little. "Not a problem, Watchtower." Once he was sure she was steady on her feet, he rose to stand, as well, a grin tugging at his lips. "Maybe I should carry you down to the limo."

Chloe grinned and shook her head, "don't tempt me, I might say yes to your offer and then you're stuck."

He grinned back at her. "Be happy to help out."

"I can walk, thank you," she told him with a smile as she dropped the skirt of her dress and brushed her hands over it once more.

He watched her for a moment, then held out his arm. "You ready?"

"Yeah," she told him, taking a deep breath and looking around as she took his arm, "just making sure I didn't miss anything."

"Did you do the whole something old, something new thing?" he asked curiously, resting his hand over hers.

"Not really," she told him, "I have something new and something blue, but I don't really have anything old or borrowed."

"Well, the limo is borrowed. Think that counts?" He grinned.

Chloe grinned back and nodded, squeezing his arm a little, "I think it does."

"Well, I have it on good authority that the something old part is already taken care of," he told her mysteriously.

"Is it?" She asked, raising her eyebrows, "what is it?"

"Not my secret to tell," he teased, winking at her.

Chloe mock sighed and shook her head, "superheroes and their secrets, you'd think I'd be used to it by now."

"You'd think," he said with a grin.

"Maybe someday," she told him, smiling softly.

"If it makes you feel any better, this one's more of a surprise than a secret," he told her, meeting her eyes and returning her smile. "I don't really have any other secrets you don't already know about."

Chloe smiled softly and held his gaze, nodding, "that's reassuring."

"Oh, but there is one thing I haven't told you about..." A smile quirked his lips once more.

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows curiously and looked up at him.

"How do you feel about Hawaii?"

"They eat a lot of Spam?" She asked, cocking her head and looking at him.

He chuckled. "How do you feel about a honeymoon in Hawaii?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chloe blinked and raised her eyebrows, looking up at him, "I... feel like that would be much better than not having one at all."

"Oh good. Because I wasn't sure what else to get you for a present, but I thought a trip to Hawaii might be acceptable." He grinned.

"Coming is present enough, I know how busy your life is..." she told him sincerely.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," he responded just as sincerely.

"Thank you," she told him, hugging his arm a little and smiling up at him.

"You're welcome." He held her gaze, his stomach suddenly tightening as a wave of regret washed over him--regret that he didn't even realize he had. "Let's get you married."

Chloe took a deep breath and nodded a little as she picked up her skirt with her free hand and started out of the door.

* * *

His head lolled to one side, his eyebrows furrowing. "Wait," he whispered.

Chloe frowned, looking up from her laptop when she head something in the otherwise silent apartment. Mia had gone to sleep some while Connor was napping and Chloe had been working since.

"It's not safe," he murmured, his heart beating quickly in his chest.

This time, Chloe definitely heard something, she quickly stood up and quietly made her way into the room she'd been told was Oliver's, he seemed restless, he was definitely sweating, probably a fever from the wound, which Mia had told Chloe all about when she got back, "Ollie?" Chloe murmured, making her way over to the bed.

His mouth felt dry, fear clutching at him. "Can't...Chloe...it's not safe." The breath hitched in his throat.

"Ollie?" She said again, frowning and picking up a towel from the bedside table, "it's okay," she told him, brushing the towel over his face, she needed to get it wet, he was burning up, but at least, he was sweating it off.

"He's a monster," he whispered, turning his head toward her.

"Who is a monster?" She asked him quietly, brushing the towel over his cheek and neck gently.

Oliver started slightly, opening his eyes and reaching up to grab her hand instinctively. "Davis."

Chloe's eyes widened a little, she had been sure he was dreaming, "Ollie, Davis is gone."

His eyebrows furrowed a little, his breathing shaky and uneven as he relaxed his grip on her hand, then let go of her, swallowing hard. His eyes were glassy, red-rimmed. "Chloe?" There was a hint of confusion in his voice.

"I'm here," she assured him, watching him and smiling softly, "it's the fever, it's making you delirious, everything is okay."

"Fever," he murmured, laying his head back against the pillow once more and relaxing a little. "Davis is gone?"

"He's gone," Chloe said quietly, brushing the towel over his forehead then pulling it away, "he has been for five years."

Oliver exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. "Oh."

"Have some water," she told him as she placed the towel down and picked up the glass instead.

He struggled to sit up, then grimaced as pain shot through his shoulder. Gritting his teeth together, he reached out to take the glass from her.

She placed a hand on his bare, sweat-covered back to help him sit up and held the glass for him.

He opened his eyes to look at her, meeting her gaze as he took a long drink of the cool water. "Thank you," he murmured.

Her breath caught when she held his gaze, unable to ignore the words Dinah had said to her earlier, "how are you feeling?"

"It's freezing in here," he answered.

"If you tell me where they are, I will get you more blankets," she offered.

He laid back down against the pillow. "Top of the closet," Oliver told her, letting his eyes drift shut once more and tugging the blankets up around him.

Nodding, she walked into the closet and came back out moments later, carrying the two heaviest blankets she could find, "can you sit up again?"

This time he put all his weight on his left hand to sit up, so he didn't hurt himself further.

Chloe unfolded one of the blankets and leaned closer, slipping it behind him and wrapping it around him, not really realizing how close to him she was until she looked down at him, "better?" The word left her mouth before she had the chance to pull away.

"Yes," he murmured, his face just inches from hers.

"Lean back," she said quietly, her heart beating quickly as she lifted a hand to cup his cheek unconsciously.

Oliver leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as he did as she instructed.

Chloe watched him and silently sighed, pulling her hand back slowly and pulling away to get the other blanket and to put some distance between them. He had been dreaming about her, he had been saying her name, but he was clearly delirious because of the fever and the only reason she was reading anything into this was because of what Dinah said earlier. Oliver didn't have feelings for her, he never had and even if something did happen between them, it would be just a rebound for him, he _had_ just ended a four year relationship with Dinah.

Besides, when she took the job at Checkmate, she did it so she would have an excuse not to create more bonds with people that would only get broken like all the other ones she had had before.

"Stay with me," he whispered, as unconsciousness began to tug at him once more.

She took a deep breath as she placed the second blanket on top of him, "I'll be here," she whispered to him.

Oliver relaxed at her words and within moments, he was asleep once more.


	10. Chapter 10

Hours later, Oliver awoke slowly, his fever broken, finally. He opened his eyes and used his good hand to help him sit up, then rubbed it over his face. He paused when he caught sight of Chloe, slumped in the recliner beside his bed, her eyes closed, and her breathing soft and even. 

He swallowed hard at the sight. He vaguely remembered her holding Connor earlier in the living room, but he had no idea when she’d moved from out there to his bedside. 

Chloe shifted on her chair and sighed softly, arms wrapped around herself as she slept.

He watched her for a moment longer, then picked up one of the blankets she’d covered him in and carefully draped it over her, hesitating and then pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. 

She sighed deeply, relaxing against the chair even more for a second then sitting up quickly, her eyes wide as she opened them, seeing first his chest then his face.

“Easy,” he murmured. “Sorry. You seemed cold.” 

Letting out a deep breath, she leaned back against the chair and rubbed her hands over her face, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“It’s okay. Apparently you needed it.” 

Chloe cleared her throat and dropped her hands to her lap, “how are you feeling?”

“Shoulder’s sore. But the fever’s gone. So better.” He shrugged with his good shoulder, watching her carefully.

“Good,” she said with a nod, “Mia told me what happened.”

Oliver looked away. “Oh.” 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said seriously, stretching her arms over her head before standing up slowly.

His jaw tightened a little as he stared out the window. “If I’d been a little faster, I could have saved that woman’s life.” 

“It’s not your fault, Ollie,” she told him in a whisper as she watched his back, “I’m reinforcing security, we will find him.”

“I was out of the game too long. I’ve been sloppy.” 

“What do you mean?” She asked, frowning a little.

Oliver rubbed a hand over his face. “I haven’t been patrolling again for long,” he admitted quietly.

“You haven’t?” She asked, frowning.

He shook his head wordlessly.

“Why?” Chloe asked, hesitantly stepping closer to him.

“I wasn’t sure it was even who I was anymore,” he said, not turning to look at her.

Her eyes widened a little at the confession and she cocked her head, trying to look at his face without invading his personal space, “what do you mean?”

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to be the Green Arrow anymore,” he admitted with a slight shrug. “I wasn’t sure I was capable of it. Or that there was even a point.” 

“What made you think that?” Chloe asked quietly.

Oliver paused, glancing at her sideways, and then looking out the window again wordlessly.

“What happened to Jimmy wasn’t your fault, Oliver,” she told him, frowning.

He shut his eyes for a moment. “He was working for me, Chloe. I’m the one who gave him the order to find out everything he could about Davis Bloome.” He winced a little.

“Oliver,” she shook her head, stepping closer, “I was the one who kept Davis in our lives, I was the one trying to _help_ him.”

“You were trying to save his life.” 

“And I ended up watching him take Jimmy’s instead,” Chloe said blankly.

He blanched, the memory of walking into the towering building and finding Chloe holding the body of her dead husband in her lap forever emblazoned in his mind. “You didn’t know that was going to happen.” 

“None of us did,” she told him, “except you and Clark warned me, and if I had listened to you, Jimmy would still be alive.”

“I wasn’t thinking about Jimmy. Or Clark, for that matter.” He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. 

“What were you thinking about?” She asked him, watching him closely.

He was silent for a moment. “Keeping you safe.” 

Chloe’s stomach clenched at the words and once more, Dinah’s words echoed in her head, but she did her best to ignore them, “we would all have been safe if I had listened.”

“Or Davis would have found a way out of the Phantom Zone,” he responded, recalling Clark’s suggestion. “Or brought more people to their death after trying to kill him again just wound up making him stronger.” 

Sighing deeply, it was Chloe’s turn to turn her back to him and rub her hands over her face, her chest tight as she thought about all the memories and ‘what ifs’ that she had spent so much time thinking about before, “it doesn’t matter, Oliver. It is what it is,” she paused, “Jimmy is dead and personally, I don’t blame anyone but myself for it.”

“I’m sorry,” he said almost inaudibly. 

“Thank you,” she said just as quietly, “I’m sorry you have been blaming yourself all this time.”

He paused for a moment, then hesitantly reached out and rested a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Work aside...how have you been, Chloe?” he asked very quietly.

Chloe stilled at the touch and let out a deep, heavy breath, shaking her head, “there isn’t anything else,” she said quietly, not sure why she was telling him that, but all the emotions that the memories of Jimmy and Davis brought up made it harder for her to suppress everything like she was used to.

Oliver closed his eyes for a moment, then lifted his other hand to her opposite shoulder as well, squeezing both her shoulders gently. 

She let out a deep breath again and rubbed her face, shaking her head, “you shouldn’t be lifting your arm like that.”

“I’ll be all right,” he murmured, shifting closer to her.

Swallowing hard, she turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder, her lips pursed into a thin line as she tried to keep herself under control.

Oliver met her eyes and held her gaze silently, lifting a hand to her cheek.

Despite her best effort, she leaned into his touch and let out a breath.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead softly, closing his eyes. 

Chloe closed her eyes too and turned slightly toward him, letting out a breath. She wanted to warn him not to get too close, to warn him that getting attached to her, no matter in what way, not only because of her job, or because of how much more dangerous his, Connor’s and Mia’s lives would be with her around, but because eventually, they would leave one another, and there was no point in going through all that pain. 

But she didn’t say a word, she couldn’t bring herself to, couldn’t even form the phrases she knew she should be saying, let alone pull away from his comforting touch.

When she didn’t pull away from him, or protest his nearness, he slid his good arm around her, pulling her closer to him in a hug. He rested his chin atop her head, closing his eyes and letting out a breath.

She didn’t even open her eyes, just turned until she was facing him and leaned into the hug, wrapping her arms around him too and resting her head against his bare chest, she could hear his heart and there was a familiarity about the hug, even if she couldn’t remember the last time he had actually hugged her.

Oliver relaxed as she returned the hug, his hand rubbing her back gently. He kissed the top of her head wordlessly.

Chloe closed her eyes tighter at the tenderness of the kiss and sighed deeply, she felt like the first time in _years_ , her brain was completely blank.

“There could be something else,” he murmured.

Frowning, she pulled her head back and looked up at him, “what?”

“Besides work,” he said softly, gazing down at her. “There could be something else.” 

At his words, she looked away and shook her head, even as she kept her arms around him, “anything else would be complicated.”

He paused. “Friends and family would be complicated?” he murmured.

“Yeah,” she murmured then took a deep breath, “it’s too dangerous.”

“It’s always been too dangerous, Chloe.” He tucked some hair behind her ear.

“People know my name, Oliver, I can’t hide behind a codename in this job,” she told him, “it’s more dangerous than what you do.”

He paused at that. “If the general public knew your name, they’d know about Checkmate and there’d be no need for secrecy.” 

“Not the general public,” she told him, shaking her head, “the government, all it takes is for one agent to turn, it’s happened before.”

Oliver gave her a look. “That’s always been a risk, whether it’s government or not.” 

“I can’t be that selfish,” she said calmly, looking up at him, “this is the life I chose for myself, and I can’t drag anyone else with me.”

“You and I were walking this path together long before you even knew an agency like Checkmate existed, Chloe. And we’re still walking it.” He paused. “Your position’s just more official now.” 

“I’m telling you, Ollie, it’s worse than you think,” she told him quietly, watching him for a moment, “the fact that you know about the agency alone, we have so many enemies...”

“And you just told me a few days ago that one of our mutual enemies, who’s possibly one of the most dangerous people on the planet, is still alive. You don’t think it would behoove us to pool our resources, and work together?” He shook his head a little. 

“I’ll be working with the Green Arrow, Oliver, not with _you_ , you have a family, you need to make things as safe as possible for them,” she told him seriously.

“Chloe, listen to me.” His voice was quiet and he moved closer to her, gazing at her intently. “I already have enemies. Not just as Green Arrow, but as myself. I kind of doubt that adding a few more people to the list of people who hate me will really make any difference.” He shook his head again. “Besides that. What are the chances that Lex Luthor doesn’t already know that Green Arrow and Oliver Queen are one and the same?” 

“I can’t be the one to add to that list, Oliver,” she told him, her jaw tightening, “I can’t be responsible for more innocents dying.”

He stared at her for a moment. “Do you think I should quit?” 

Chloe raised her eyebrows at the unexpected question, watching him for a moment, “that’s your choice, not mine.”

“Yes, it is my choice. But I’m asking for your opinion.” 

“I don’t know enough about what is going on in your life to tell you one thing or another, I think as long as you know what your priorities are, you can do both, but I don’t know how things have been for the three of you,” she told him, keeping her voice neutral.

“And how has it been for you, Chloe? By yourself?” he murmured, his mouth close to her ear. 

She held her breath at the closeness, closing her eyes for a moment, “it’s my choice, Oliver.”

“That doesn’t answer the question.” 

“Lonely,” she admitted, “but safer. I don’t have to worry about people I care about getting hurt.” 

“Because there’s no one you care about?” he asked, pulling away a little to look at her once more.

“Of course there are people I care about,” she looked up at him, “which is why I keep my distance from them, from you.”

Oliver pursed his lips and then sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching up with his good hand and yanking at the bandage covering his stitched-up stab wound.

Chloe frowned, watching him, “what are you doing?”

He pulled it off the rest of the way then looked up at her. “This didn’t happen because of you.” He rose to his feet once more, turning around so his back was facing her. “And that scar under my ribcage? That wasn’t you, either.” He turned around to face her again, his expression serious. “It was a liquor store robbery gone bad.” He shook his head. “You can’t control what happens, Chloe. And the people you say you care about? We get hurt anyway. It just goes with the territory.” 

She watched him in silence, her chest tight and her eyes glassy, she knew what he was saying was the truth and she didn’t blame herself for _everything_ , but she did blame herself for Jimmy and often thought of ways she could have stopped it from happening, even after all these years, when she did allow herself enough time to think, it was one of the reoccurring themes in her head, mostly because it had been the last big thing to happen in her personal life, she hadn’t had much of it since.

“I just don’t see a point in adding to the risk you already put yourself in,” she told him quietly, her voice wavering just slightly, “because sooner or later, we’ll just go our separate ways again.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” he whispered, reaching up to touch her face again. “And the point is...the more people we have in our lives that we care about...people that need us...the more careful we are when we’re out there. And that’s pretty important if you ask me.” 

Her eyes teared up more, but she took a deep breath to keep herself under control, “it’s harder than being alone.”

“It’s worth it,” he whispered, brushing his thumb lightly over her cheek. “I know, Chloe, because I’ve been on both sides of it. And I know you’re scared, and that’s okay. Just don’t let that fear win.” 

Chloe looked up at him, holding his gaze and watching him, trying to read why he was saying those things to her, why _him_ of all people, all the while ignoring what Dinah had told her, “why does it matter so much to you?” She asked in a whisper.

He swallowed hard, holding her gaze right back. “Because I care about you,” he whispered. 

After watching him for a moment long moment, she sighed softly and looked away, shaking her head a little, she didn’t know if he was saying he cared in a way they have always cared about each other, or in the way Dinah told her he cared about her, but she didn’t want to ask or make assumptions, so she stayed quiet.

“The thought of losing you again...” He shut his eyes. “I don’t want to think about it.” 

Her chest tightened once more and she looked up at him again, “nothing lasts, Oliver.”

“Some things do,” he said very quietly, looking down at the floor.

Pursing her lips together, she watched him closely, shaking her head a little.

“Some things last a hell of a long time.” He looked up and met her eyes once more, then reluctantly let his hand fall away from her cheek, sadness in his eyes as he moved past her and to the door.

Sighing deeply, Chloe shook her head and rubbed her hands over her face, keeping her back to him, “I don’t know what you expected from me,” she said in a whisper, “but I’m not the person you used to know.”

A small, faint smile touched his lips. “Neither am I.” 

Chloe glanced at him over her shoulder and pursed her lips together.

He looked back at her, shaking his head a little. “I don’t expect anything from you, Chloe.” That didn’t mean he wouldn’t hope for it.

She turned around so she was facing him again, “better if we keep it that way.”

“I doubt it,” he said quietly. And without waiting for a response, he turned and left the room.

Chloe frowned softly at his response and watched him go, shaking her head a little. Better to focus on work, anything else was already starting to get too complicated.


	11. Chapter 11

  


**7 February 2009**

Chloe had been at Isis since she spoke with Lana, she had managed to avoid Clark so far, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to do it forever. She just didn't know how she was going to face him and manage to keep it from him about Oliver murdering Lex, worse, she didn't know how she was going to be able to hide from Clark the fact that she knew what Oliver had been planning and how she hadn't done anything to stop him, or how she had been relieved to hear that Oliver had done it.

The more time that went by, the better, because she needed a plan to answer the questions she knew her best friend would undoubtedly ask.

He stood silently in the door-frame of her office, a small bouquet of flowers in his hands. "Chloe?" His voice was soft, hesitant. Very unlike the way he'd spoken to her just a couple days before. The guilt had set in almost instantly, but he'd managed to fight it off until now.

She stilled at the familiar voice and sighed silently, keeping her eyes on the screen in front of her, facing Oliver wasn't any better than facing Clark.

"I know I'm probably about the last person you want to see right now, or...ever again for that matter." He swallowed hard. "But I wanted to apologize."

 _That_ she didn't expect. With a deep breath, she turned to face him, raising her eyebrows at the flowers he was holding but didn't say anything.

Oliver was silent for a moment, then he hesitantly stepped into her office, holding the small bouquet out toward her. "I shouldn't have involved you in my business with Lex." His voice was quiet. "And I'm sorry that I dragged you into it. That I put you in this position."

Chloe watched him for a moment, hesitating before taking the flowers and sighing deeply, "you didn't have the right to involve me," she said firmly, looking down at the flowers then placing them on her desk, "and I had the obligation to stop you."

He gazed at her intently and then looked down at the floor. "Chloe, that stuff I said about it being your fault if anything happened to Clark..." He shook his head, shutting his eyes. "That was wrong."

"It wasn't right for you to say it," she agreed, "but it wasn't a lie."

"Yeah, it kinda was." He looked up at her again. "Because you're not solely responsible for taking care of Clark, or anyone else."

She just gave him a look at that and shook her head, "lets not talk about responsibilities, we're both sorely lacking in the matter."

Oliver winced a little at that and looked away for a moment. "I'm sorry, Chloe. I really am." His voice was almost inaudible.

"I believe you are," Chloe gave, cocking her head slightly as she watched him, "but being sorry isn't going to change anything," she turned her back to him and went back to her computer, "this is just one more secret we're going to have to keep."

He fell silent, then rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Chloe, about Sebastian Kane..."

Her jaw tightened and she glanced at him over her shoulder, "it's going to remain another secret."

"I was just...I'll take it to my grave, Chloe," he said quietly.

Chloe held his gaze for a moment, then looked at the screen one more time, "then I guess we're even."

Oliver was silent for a few seconds and then he turned and headed toward the door. "I'll earn your trust back," he murmured.

At his words she sighed, letting her head drop, "this isn't about trust."

"I'm not sure people can really be friends if there isn't trust," he said quietly, pausing at the door but not turning around.

She suppressed a snort at that, the irony of his words were almost too good to let it go, considering he had just asked her to lie to her best friend, but she managed to keep it to herself, "like I said, this isn't about trust." She repeated then turned around, facing his back, "I know your secret, you know mine, there isn't any other way around it."

He turned around to look at her once more, meeting her eyes. "What do you want me to do, Chloe?"

"If you _ever_ need my help with something else like that," she told him, lowering her voice as she stepped closer, "you will not only give me a choice in the matter, but you will also listen to my opinion and take it into consideration."

Oliver held his breath for a moment, then let it out slowly. "You got it," he whispered.

Chloe held his gaze for a moment longer then nodded once, her jaw unclenching but just barely.

He looked down at the floor, then back up at her. "I hope your week gets better," he said very quietly, turning to go once more.

"Yours too," she said just as quietly, but didn't try to stop him this time.

Somehow, he doubted it would.

* * *

"Knight, do you have a visual?" Chloe asked into her communicator in a whisper as she ran down the darkened docks after abandoning her car.

"Negative, they seem to have disappeared into Pier 53." Knight responded.

Mia shifted the bag of groceries in her arms as she continued to walk down the street back toward Oliver's apartment. The hair on the back of her neck was standing on end suddenly and she turned slowly, looking around but not seeing anyone. She suddenly wished she had her crossbow with her anyway. Something just felt wrong.

"Rook to Queen, they are on the move," a third voice spoke into the network.

Chloe stilled, gun still firmly in one hand, flashlight in the other, "I need a location, Rook."

"They seem to be headed toward first, just made a turn from Western on to Madison." Rook informed her.

"Then we follow, Bishop, what's your position?" Chloe asked even as she turned around and started running in the opposite direction.

"I'm on third and Spring, headed there, Queen."

That was when Mia heard footsteps behind her, approaching quickly. She turned around, dropping the bag of groceries and falling into a defensive stance. She found herself face to face with a man she'd only met once, but had hoped never to see again. _Maybe he won't recognize me._

Chloe ran as fast as she could until she made her way on to first avenue, her flashlight had been turned off and pocketed and now she held the gun firmly in both hands. "I have a visual," she informed her team, "the masked man is gone, Rook, I need a reading of rooftops, Knight, you cover me, Bishop, Pawn look for the masked man, we can't lose him again." Her orders were received by the members and she continued in silence, pressing herself against the wall, doing her best to remain unseen as she approached their secondary target.

"He has a civilian," Chloe whispered, her jaw tightening as she pulled the safety lock from the gun.

"I know you," he said coldly, staring hard at Mia. "You're the little whore Green Arrow threw me in jail over." A small smirk formed on his mouth as he stepped closer to her. "But he'll get his. Just like you're about to get yours." He pulled a gun from his jacket and pointed it at her.

Mia stood frozen, staring at him with wide eyes.

Chloe was much closer now, she could hear the man's whispers, but she couldn't make out his words. One more step, and she saw a flash of the civilian's face, which she recognized immediately, "Mia," she mumbled to herself at the same moment she caught sight of the man's gun, pointed toward the teenager.

"Drop your weapon!" Chloe ordered, holding the gun directly behind the man's back and ignoring the urgent voices that were coming through the communicator. She just had to give the rest of the team time to catch up with her and then, well _Checkmate_ , at least with one of their suspects.

"Fuck you," he responded, shoving the gun against Mia's head. "One step closer and I'll kill her."

Mia winced as the gun pressed against her temple roughly, her eyes widening when she realized it was _Chloe_ trying to help her.

"You have two seconds, Mayor," Chloe said tightly, the silencer of her gun pressing against the base of the former mayor's skull, a deathly shot and she knew it.

"You'll never stop him," he told her, cocking his gun.

She didn't answer, her eyes were on the man's fingers, wrapped around his gun, she noticed when he started adding pressure to the trigger and without warning and in a quick movement, she pressed hers first, a low, dull sound coming from the end of her weapon and with her free hand, Chloe grabbed the man's arm and pushed it up quickly, the loud sound of his own gun firing a fraction of a second later, except the bullet was now flying upwards instead of on the inside of Mia's head.

A frightened cry escaped Mia's lips and she stared at Chloe with wide, startled eyes as the man fell dead to the ground.

"Are you hurt?" Chloe asked as she let go of the man, her jaw set still as she lowered her weapon without taking her eyes off of Mia.

"No," she whispered, shivering involuntarily.

"Go," Chloe urged the teenager away from the body by pulling her by the arm, "hurry."

"Go where?" Mia asked uncertainly.

"Home," she told her, "be safe." She knew Mia was only a few feet from the apartment now, and she could keep an eye on her until she went inside.

"Thank you," she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself and fleeing toward the apartment.

* * *

When Mia got to the apartment, she was breathing heavily, the groceries had been left on the street, but she didn't care, she was glad to be back. In one piece. She locked all the locks and set the alarm, then sighed in relief as she leaned her forehead against the door.

"Mia?" Oliver frowned a little, looking up at her from where he sat at the kitchen table.

She took a deep breath before turning around to face him and swallowed hard, her eyes still wide.

The fear on her face was easy to see and he quickly rose to his feet, moving toward her. "What happened?"

"The Mayor," Mia told him, eyes widening even more as she stared up at him.

His eyes widened, as well. "Are you all right?" He glanced over her worriedly, checking for any signs of injury.

Swallowing hard, she nodded, "he's dead."

Oliver inhaled sharply. "Where, Mia?"

"Chloe," she told him, blinking and taking a deep breath, still trying to process what had just happened, her hands were shaking and sweating.

He stepped closer to her, reaching out and resting one hand on her shoulder. "What about Chloe?" His heart was beating quickly in his chest as he tried to put together what had happened.

"She helped me," Mia told him, shaking her head, "he was after me, he recognized me, and then she showed up..."

"Is Chloe all right?" He felt his chest tighten.

Mia nodded and swallowed hard, "she told me to come home."

He relaxed a little, then wrapped his good arm around her. "It's okay," he murmured.

She hurried to wrap her arms around him and held on to him tightly as she closed her eyes, "he was gonna shoot me in the head."

Oliver grimaced at that, holding her a little more tightly as well. "You're safe now," he whispered.

Mia simply held on to him, hiding her face against his chest, it had been close, way too close, and especially facing someone from her past like that, someone who'd _paid_ for her, she was glad Oliver was there, he was the only one who could make her feel safe.

"Come on, Kiddo," he murmured. "I'll make you some hot chocolate."

She hesitated then nodded, "I'm gonna go get Connor," she told him, wanting the baby she saw as a little brother close too.

"Okay." He kissed her forehead and let her go.

Mia let go of Oliver and quickly disappeared down the hallway, she was going to need to change too, even if the guy had barely touched her, she felt dirty.

Oliver watched her go, his eyes filled with worry. He needed to talk to Chloe.


	12. Chapter 12

  


Oliver pulled the covers up over Mia's sleeping form, kissing her forehead lightly before heading out of the room as he heard the knock on the door. It had taken hours to get the teenager to get some sleep, and that had only happened once Connor was sleeping in a bassinet in her room and Oliver had promised to stay with her until she'd fallen asleep. He wasn't sure which had shaken her up more: running into a man who'd wanted to have sex with her nearly a year before, having a gun to her head, or seeing said man die right in front of her. He suspected it was a little of all three.

He rubbed a hand over his face and headed to the front door, glancing out the peep hole just to make sure it was the person he was expecting. When he saw that it was, he disabled the alarm and unlocked all four locks on the door, pulling it open and finding himself gazing at Chloe, who looked more than a little worn out.

Once they were sure the masked man really wasn't anywhere to be found, Chloe called off the search and they started working on the clean up, the whole thing had taken about four hours and the sun was already coming up by the time she made her way over to the Queen penthouse. She had stopped to get donuts and coffee for the three of them, not sure if Mia was still awake but wanting something that would be at least somewhat comforting for her.

But also because she hadn't really seen Oliver since their conversation the other night, a conversation she still wasn't sure what to make of, and on top of it, she was sure Mia had told Oliver exactly what had happened out there and she wasn't sure how he would react.

"How is she?" Chloe asked instantly, looking up at Oliver once she saw no sign of the other two residents.

"Sleeping finally," he said softly, stepping aside to let her in. "Thanks for coming."

Chloe nodded slightly, "I wanted to check on her anyway, I just thought maybe I should wait until later."

He closed the door behind her, reactivated the alarm, and locked all the locks before turning to face her once more.

She glanced over her shoulder and nodded to herself a little, glad to see he had some security. Then turned around and placed the donuts box and the coffees over the kitchen island silently.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Thank you." His voice was quiet.

"I figured if she was still awake, she might be hungry," she told him in a quiet voice as she busied herself with pulling the three cups from the holder.

"That's not what I meant."

Chloe nodded slightly and picked up two of the cups before finally turning to look at him and holding out one of them for him.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly, reaching out and taking one of the cups from her.

"Yeah," she took time to sip on her coffee then looked at him again, "we almost had him."

Oliver paused at that. "Wait. What do you mean?"

"The masked killer," Chloe said quietly, "he and the former mayor were meeting by the docks, they made a run for it, we lost him, but we found the mayor."

"And the mayor found Mia," he murmured, beginning to pace the floor.

She sighed deeply and nodded, rubbing her free hand over her face, "I don't think he was looking for her, or had any plans to run into her, he was just running from us."

He was silent for a moment. "How much do you know about our former mayor?"

"Not much yet," Chloe admitted, watching him.

Oliver turned to glance at her, then nodded toward the kitchen table. "Then you might want to have a seat so I can fill you in."

Frowning a little, she considered him for a moment then did what he asked, pulling out a chair and taking a seat then looking up at him.

He drew in a breath, picking up his cup of coffee and sitting down across from her. "I haven't told you how I met Mia." His voice was very quiet.

Raising her eyebrows, Chloe shook her head, "you haven't."

He took a long drink and then set the cup down on the table, folding his hands in front of him. "It was about two years ago," he began, his voice still soft. "I was invited to a birthday party thrown for the former mayor. He was interested in some of my company's ideas. I wasn't excited about it, but I try not to burn bridges I might need in the future, so I showed up."

She sipped on her coffee then nodded, watching him closely and remaining silent, willing for him to go on.

"It was a typical political party. Or so I thought," he murmured, looking down at the table. "I was getting ready to leave when I heard a rumor floating around about the mayor's special guest." His jaw tightened a little.

"Special guest?" Chloe echoed, frowning harder at the expression on his face.

"Turns out the mayor had a thing for underage girls," he said, his voice hard. "So a few of his party guests chipped in to get him a special present for the occasion."

Her jaw tightened at the information, but she didn't saying anything.

"That was the first day I put the uniform back on since Metropolis," he said quietly.

Chloe's eyes widened a little, unaware that he had gone three years without patrolling, but that was a conversation for another time, "what happened?"

"I showed up as Green Arrow, broke up the party, called the cops, and got Mia out of there," he told her. "The mayor went to prison for eighteen months."

Swallowing hard, she nodded, pursing her lips together and watching him as she processed the information, "and I assume the Major saw you as Arrow?"

Oliver nodded a little. "Yeah. Understatement," he admitted, looking up at her. "I shot an arrow through his hand."

She was silent for a moment, holding his gaze, "and we have proof that the Mayor and the masked man knew one another, and we also have proof that the masked man wanted to _hurt_ you, but not kill you yet." She said quietly, "you knew the first two victims, the third one was more than likely a bait, I'm guessing the Mayor was the one paying the serial killer."

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "So the masked man isn't so much a serial killer as he is a hired hitman."

"That's the most likely theory I can think of," Chloe told him, "but we will need more research than this."

He rubbed a hand over his face, then picked up his cup of coffee, downing it quickly. "We're also going to need more caffeine." He rose to his feet.

She watched him, quiet for a moment, "it is likely that he will drop the job now that he doesn't have anyone to sign his paycheck."

Oliver considered that for a moment as he moved to the coffee maker and began to brew a pot. "You think that's why he dropped the jobs in Gotham and Metropolis? Because whoever was paying his bills got killed?"

"It's a possibility," Chloe agreed, "but I don't know, I currently have two teams working on surveillance footage, tracking down the Mayor's every move and investigating all the people he spoke with or even just brushed up against."

"Big sister's watching," he said with a smirk, turning to glance at her with a raised eyebrow.

She raised her eyebrows back at him and offered him the hint of a smile, "I don't want to leave anything uncovered, even if this man drops the job, he's still dangerous."

"Agreed," he said, nodding.

Nodding, she sipped on her coffee once more, finishing it and falling silent. She wasn't sure what to expect from Oliver's reaction when she first came over, but there hadn't been even an ounce of judgment, only gratitude and that was a better outcome than she'd imagined.

Oliver poured her another cup of coffee, then another for himself, as well, then moved to sit down once more.

Chloe thanked him for the coffee and took a deep breath as she took the cup, "we should have some information in the next few hours."

He nodded a little, staring down at his cup silently.

She kept her eyes on him, "was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

Oliver shook his head wordlessly, and took a drink of his coffee.

Pursing her lips together slightly, she nodded and sat back against her chair, looking down at her coffee too. She had no problem with waiting in silence.

"What you said a few days ago. The last time we talked. Maybe you were right." His voice was quiet.

She held her breath at his words and let it out slowly before lifting her head to look at him, "which part?"

"About not involving other people in our lives." He didn't look at her.

Chloe took a deep breath and watched him in silence for a long moment, "you don't have much of a choice in the matter."

"There's always a choice."

"What are you thinking?" She asked quietly.

"That maybe we do have to make a choice. That maybe it's not possible to have the job and a life."

"You're thinking of quitting," it wasn't a question.

Oliver closed his eyes and let out a breath. "I can't walk out on Connor and Mia."

"I would never expect that from you," she said quietly, her eyes never leaving his face.

"No?" There was a hint of bitterness in his tone. "Why not? You should."

"Because they are your family, Oliver, they _need_ you," she told him, holding his gaze, "and no matter how you see yourself, or how much you blame yourself for what happened, I have a different perspective."

"And what perspective is that, Chloe?"

"I have never blamed you, any of you, for leaving after everything happened with Davis and Jimmy," she told him quietly, "I never thought you were a bad person, a bad friend for doing it, Oliver. We all dealt with it in different ways," she said, her voice calm and quiet, "and every time I ever needed you before, you were there for me, doing favors and going out of your way to help me with whatever it was that I needed. You're dependable, you're loyal, even before, when I barely even knew you, before I was part of the team." Chloe shook her head, "you would never leave the people who need you the most."

He shut his eyes, rubbing his hands over his face tiredly. "You're assuming way too much about me, about my motives, Chloe."

"I'm just telling you what I think, Oliver," she said sincerely, "what I saw, but I don't know much beyond that."

"I know." His voice was quiet. "So trust me. I'm not the guy you're making me out to sound like. I never have been."

"Then who are you?"

"A selfish, self-absorbed jackass," he said, rising to his feet again.

Chloe frowned deeply and shook her head, "explain."

Oliver was silent for a moment and he leaned against the kitchen counter, folding his arms across his chest. "I do the things I do because they make _me_ feel better. It's not about anyone else."

"Just because they make you feel good, it doesn't make them selfish actions, Oliver. It means you are helping yourself and others at the same time." She told him, turning in her chair to face him.

"So it's okay to only help someone else because I benefit from it? Isn't that kind of screwed up?"

"You can't honestly believe that, Oliver," she told him in disbelief.

He shrugged a little, not meeting her eyes.

"You helped people every night, people you didn't know, for _years_ , Oliver, even if you feel accomplished you save someone out on the streets, that doesn't make you selfish. Don't you think doctors feel good about themselves when they help a patient? Or firemen when they save people from fires? There is nothing wrong in priding yourself for doing a good job," she was standing now, looking at him with a frown, she couldn't understand why he would think so little about himself.

Oliver stared down at the floor. "Regardless of how many people I saved, there are plenty of other people I've hurt. That I let down. Hell, you know half of them." He looked up at her. "Mia figured out who I was and sought me out. And I let myself drag her into the mess I've made of my life, not because she needed me, but because _I _needed her, Chloe."__

__"She needs you too, Oliver," Chloe told him, "and I may not know much about Mia's life before you, but from what you just told me, this sounds like an improvement."_ _

__"Yeah, except the parts where she almost gets killed because of my alter ego."_ _

__"The Major wasn't looking for _you_ or _her_ , Oliver, he just happened to run into her. It was a wrong place, wrong time situation," Chloe told him firmly, frowning._ _

__"This was just the latest in a series of close calls, Chloe."_ _

__"But this is her life too, isn't it?" She asked, raising her eyebrows._ _

__"She's a _kid_."_ _

__"A kid who seems to have gone through a lot," Chloe told him, "was it her choice to start patrolling?"_ _

__"I said no," he told her, looking away. "And then we found out that she's HIV positive."_ _

__Chloe stilled, her eyes widening at the information, "I'm sorry."_ _

__"How could I tell her no after that?" he whispered. "When that's what she wanted to do?"_ _

__"If that's what she wants to do, Oliver, then it _is_ her life too." Chloe pointed out quietly, taking a step closer to him._ _

__"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Chloe."_ _

__"About Mia, or about your choices?" She asked quietly._ _

__"Both," he murmured, closing his eyes._ _

__"I can _try_ to help you," she suggested, placing a hand over his shoulder, "I just don't know how much I'll be able to do..." Considering she had no experience with being responsible for a baby and a teenager or having someone depend on her like those two people depended on Oliver, but she could try to give him support in the very least._ _

__Oliver relaxed a little under her touch, opening his eyes to find that she was standing much closer than she had been. Involuntarily, his gaze dropped to her lips._ _

__Chloe held her breath and looked up at him, her stomach clenching when she noticed the look on his face, "you're a good man, Ollie." She whispered._ _

__He lifted his gaze to meet hers once more. "Don't be so sure," he whispered back, reaching out with his good arm and pulling her closer, up against him._ _

__She paused and stared up at him, her heart beating fast against her chest, her eyes widening as she placed her hands over his upper arms._ _

__"You don't know what's going on in my mind right now," he murmured, their faces only inches apart._ _

__"Why don't you tell me?" She asked hesitantly, knowing she should pull away, but unable to stop herself from asking._ _

__Oliver paused for a moment, then dipped his head closer to her, capturing her lips in a kiss._ _

__Chloe stilled completely, her eyes widening even more because she hadn't really expected him to _show_ her. Conflicted, she hesitated, knowing she had to pull away, to break the kiss and leave and not let anything else happen, but she found herself returning the kiss despite what her rational side was screaming at her._ _

__His good hand wound itself in her hair as he deepened the kiss slowly, a stark contrast to the rapid beating of his heart._ _

__She felt herself shifting even closer to him as she returned the kiss, her own heart beating fast, but after a long moment, her rational side took control and she forced herself to break the kiss and look up at him. Her head was spinning, her eyes were wide and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Dinah's words ringing in her ears once more, even as she tried to ignore them._ _

__Oliver gazed at her, his own eyes glassy, and his breathing uneven. "That's what," he said quietly._ _

__Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath and shook her head a little, "I thought you said you agreed with me."_ _

__He watched her intently, leaning back against the counter. "If anything, tonight just proved how short life can be," he whispered._ _

__"We've learned that a long time ago," she told him quietly then sighed, rubbing her hands over her face, "there are so many reasons why we shouldn't do this."_ _

__"I know. I've always known," he admitted, looking down at the floor. "But somehow right now those reasons just don't seem to matter anymore."_ _

__"What reasons you think don't matter?" She asked in a whisper, frowning and looking up at him again, because the reasons she had in mind, definitely seemed to matter._ _

__"Any of them. We're never safe, Chloe. Not you, not me, not Mia. None of the people who live our lives are ever safe. If anything being together just means we'll be able to watch each other's backs better than we can if we're on our own." He paused, blinking a few times and inhaling sharply as the truth of that settled in his mind. "I forgot that," he whispered._ _

__"You forgot that we can watch each other's backs?" Chloe asked, confused._ _

__A small smile tugged at his lips. "I forgot that it's better to have a team of people who work toward the same goal than to do it by yourself."_ _

__"I already have a team, Ollie," Chloe whispered quietly, "the difference and the advantage is that we don't know each other personally, we just know what is necessary and that makes it safer for all of us."_ _

__"Only emotionally safer," he told her._ _

__She sighed deeply and looked away, pacing for a moment as she rubbed her hands over her face, knowing that if the tightness of her chest was anything to go by, it was already too late for her to walk away from this without second guessing her decision, without getting hurt._ _

__"Chloe, look at me," he said, his voice dropping._ _

__After a deep breath and a long pause, she dropped her hands and turned to face him, but kept some distance between them._ _

__"What you said earlier...about it being part Mia's life, too...you were right." He gazed at her intently. "Just like me being part of your life is partially my choice. And okay, if you're not interested in anything more than just being friends, I get that. I'll accept it." He shook his head, stepping closer to her. "But I need you in my life."_ _

__Chloe felt a lump in her throat at his words and she looked down, shaking her head, "I spent the past four years doing my best to cut people out of my life, Oliver, to keep my distance from everyone, _especially_ the people I care about," her voice shook and she took a deep breath, "I don't know if I can go back to anything else."_ _

__"Try," he whispered. "Please, Chloe."_ _

__"Why?" She asked and as she looked up at him again, her eyes were glassy, "you have just ended a four year relationship, Oliver, why would you want something like this so soon after?"_ _

__"Because having you in my life is better than not having you in my life," he said quietly, his chest tightening. "Because despite everything that happened, you are the only person I've ever missed as much as I miss my parents."_ _

__Chloe watched him closely, her own chest tight, "I don't want you to get your hopes up, I don't know if I can get close to anyone again," she told him in a whisper, "all of my instincts are telling me to leave right now and make sure you can't find me."_ _

__His eyes were sad as he gazed at her. "And that's exactly what my instincts have been telling me for months," he whispered back._ _

__The look on his face made her want to reach out and comfort him at the same time she felt like she had to stay away from him, "why haven't you?"_ _

__"Because I've done nothing but regret the last time I ran," he admitted._ _

__Her face fell and she looked down, sighing deeply and shaking her head slightly._ _

__Oliver looked away, as well. "Chloe...if it's me...it's okay. But don't keep yourself shut off from everyone you love," he whispered. "People need you."  
"It's not you," the words left her mouth before she realized she was talking. Sighing, she lifted her head to look at him, "I've changed, Oliver. What happened earlier today should tell you how much," Chloe whispered, looking at him as she tried to read his reaction, "people may need the old me, but they wouldn't want who I've become."_ _

__"I can't speak for anyone else, considering I'm not in touch with them anymore either." He paused, gazing at her intently. "But you saved Mia's life tonight, Chloe. That's what you do. It's what you've always done, as long as I've known you. You're just doing it in a different capacity now."_ _

__Chloe held his gaze, she knew that out of all of them he would be the most open-minded about the situation, considering everything that had happened with Lex, or that they thought had happened, she knew he understood at least partially. "I could never tell them."_ _

__He reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. "And I never would," he whispered._ _

__She looked up at him for a long moment, holding his gaze and nodding slightly, "I know."_ _

__Oliver hesitantly wound his arm around her in a hug._ _

__Closing her eyes, she sighed deeply and leaned into him for a full moment before lifting her arms and wrapping them around him. She was scared, and she still wanted to run, but she didn't think she would be capable of walking away from him, not when a simple hug made her eyes tear up, her chest and stomach tight, made her _want_ the comfort he was offering her, the kind of comfort she had denied herself all these years._ _

__"Whatever you decide," he murmured, closing his eyes tightly. "You have a home here. Always."_ _

__Her arms tightened around him and she shifted closer, pressing her cheek against his chest and once again, listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat, "thank you," she murmured. He had not idea just how much having his arms around her like that felt like home. Just like it had the first time he held her back at the Talon, in another lifetime._ _


	13. Chapter 13

**March 26, 2009**

"Watchtower, we're done here," Victor's voice came through the monitor and Chloe watched as the team exited the Keystone facility with a proud smile on her lips.

"Canary signing off," Dinah said before disconnecting.

"Aquaman signing off too," AC followed, "good to have you with us, Watchtower."

"Yeeeah, 'Licious, how about I run over there and we can have a celebration, Impulse style?" Bart added, ready to make his run to Metropolis.

Chloe smirked, "how about we take this slow, Impulse? Also, it's Watchtower," she teased.

Victor laughed, "nice to have you back _and_ watch Impulse get shot down at the same time, I'll be celebrating that. Cyborg out."

"Good job, team," Oliver said into his communicator, an amused smile on his lips. "Arrow out."

"Goodnight everyone," Chloe said, glancing at Oliver out of the corner of her eyes and smiling, "Watchtower signing out." She said before pulling the blue tooth from her ear and pressing the button to end communication with a satisfied, accomplished sigh.

His eyes were bright as he gazed at her. "So what do you think?"

"I'm one hundred percent sure I've made the right decision," she told him, smirking as she walked past him so she could put away the communicator.

He watched her move past him. "Yeah?" A smile tugged at his lips.

"Yes," she told him firmly, glancing at him over her shoulder, "I've made a lot of choices in the past few months, most of them I wasn't sure about, but _this_?" Chloe shook her head a little as she turned to face him, "everything about it feels right, it's what I should have been doing all along."

"I'm glad to hear that," he admitted quietly, watching her.

Chloe watched him for a moment, she was excited, energetic, she felt _alive_ , "thank you," she told him, smiling, her face bright.

Oliver held his breath as she gazed at him, as she _smiled_ at him like that. "Thank _you_ ," he responded, returning her smile with one of his own.

"No, Oliver," she shook her head, smiling still, "I mean it, thank you for accepting me, letting me be a part of this. I may not have been able to realize this the conventional way, but this, being Watchtower, helping the team," she paused, "it really makes me feel whole."

His expression softened at that. "Chloe, you've always been part of the team," he said quietly, smiling faintly at her.

"I know," she told him, "but there's a big difference between researching and playing information broker to what we just did, at least, there is to me."

He nodded slightly. "Well, glad to have you on board with us," he said sincerely.

Smiling still, she nodded at him and took a deep breath, "at the risk of sounding like Bart, any idea what we'll have going on next?"

Oliver grinned at her enthusiasm. "No, but that could change any minute, literally."

"Okay," Chloe nodded, "just wanted to make sure you didn't have something in mind."

"Well, I do, actually." He rose to his feet.

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows, cocking her head curiously.

He flashed her a charming smile. "I was thinking a celebratory dinner," he admitted.

Blinking, she raised her eyebrows even more, surprised, "a dinner?"

"Well, it's dinner time and I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

"I could eat," she agreed, shrugging a little, "but I don't think midnight can be considered dinner time," she teased.

"It is when you haven't eaten since lunchtime," he teased back, offering her his arm.

"I don't even know if the last time I ate actually counts, considering the body swapping thing," she smirked, taking his arm.

"Well, I'm not sure it counts either, so we'll order you an extra plate just to be on the safe side." He smirked back, leading her toward the door.

"I don't think that will be necessary, but I appreciate the thought," she told him, giving him another smirk, wider this time as they made their way outside.

He grinned. "Then at the very least, you'll have to eat dessert."

"We'll see about that," Chloe told him, taking a deep breath of fresh air as they stepped out of the building and smiling as she looked around.

Oliver glanced at her. "Where do you want to go?"

"How do you feel about Thai?"

"Authentic or otherwise?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, as authentic as it can get in Metropolis," she teased.

"Who says we have to have dinner in Metropolis?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Right," Chloe smirked and shook her head, "just because you own a jet, doesn't mean we have to go to Thailand for dinner."

"Have to? Of course not. But we could, if you wanted to. Ever been there?" He arched an eyebrow at her.

"I haven't," she told him, cocking her head, "although I can't imagine how badly the jet lag would be if we went there for dinner."

Oliver grinned. "All right, so not tonight. But stick with me long enough, Chloe, and I'll have you exploring the entire world."

Chloe smirked, "oh, I don't know, I think Watchtower can remain Metropolis-based..."

"So you don't want to see the seven wonders of the world?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Of course I do," she told him, smirking, "but I just started this new job, my boss is kind of a pain, I don't want to demand anything yet."

"Ouch," he said with a mock look of hurt. "I think you'd be surprised at how well your boss deals with other people's demands."

"My cousin told me all about it," Chloe told him, raising her eyebrows and smiling sweetly. She hadn't been in this good of a mood in a very long time.

He rolled his eyes at that. "Watch it or you'll be buying your own dinner," he said wryly.

"Oh, you're paying? Is that considered a bonus?" She asked, cocking her head.

Oliver chuckled. "Already fishing for bonuses. Nice."

Chloe grinned and shook her head, shrugging, "you shouldn't encourage it."

"I don't mind giving bonuses for a job well done," he told her with a grin.

"I will have to deserve them, then," she told him, smirking.

"Yep. You'll have to earn your keep the same way as everybody else," he teased, returning her smirk with one of his own. It was the most relaxed he'd been in awhile--since everything with Lex.

"I plan on doing so, don't go easy on me just because I'm a girl," she teased back.

"Oh trust me, I won't." He chuckled. "Though I think Canary will be extra glad to have you on board."

"It will be nice not to have to deal with all of you on my own," Chloe told him with a smirk.

"Yes, I know we're so incredibly high maintenance."

"At least you're aware of it..."

Oliver smirked at her. "Do you know how often I have to restock the fridge for Bart? Or stock extra bottled water for AC?"

Chloe laughed softly and nodded, "I can imagine, Mrs. Kent mentioned how Bart ate everything available in her kitchen when he came by."

He glanced sideways at her. "Other than coffee, anything I should keep in stock for you?"

"Oh? I get coffee?" She asked, surprised, it wasn't like she spent a lot of time at the clocktower.

"Of course. We generally work out of the clock tower for missions," he told her. "So I keep the place as stocked as possible."

"Oh," Chloe cocked her head, "wouldn't it be better to stick to Isis? I mean I do have a pretty amazing system..."

"You do," he agreed with a slight nod. "But you also have a lot of clients," he pointed out. "Clocktower's a little more private."

Considering for a moment, she pursed her lips together and nodded, "right, that makes sense."

"How are things going at Isis?" he asked, his voice growing softer.

"Kinda slow," Chloe admitted then shook her head a little, "I can't exactly put an ad in the Planet offering help to mutants."

He nodded a little, glancing at her. "How are things doing financially?"

"Oh," she shrugged a shoulder and shook her head, "not... too bad, I mean, Lana owns the building and I only pay utilities on it, everything else is taken care of."

Oliver nodded again, letting a comfortable silence fall between them as they walked toward the restaurant.

Chloe smiled softly and glanced up at him, knowing why he was asking the question and grateful that he cared, but she didn't want to ask him for more than he had already done for her.

* * *

Oliver sat at the kitchen table, laptop open in front of him as he carefully went over the records of every criminal he'd ever helped put away as Green Arrow. Granted, the guy had been paid to try and kill him, but the fact that he'd had his opportunity and hadn't taken it, that he'd chosen to toy with him instead, suggested to Oliver that there was also a personal vendetta involved.

Chloe had gone back to her rental for a while to grab everything she'd need, and also to have some space after the highly unexpected turn of events with Oliver. But as promised, she made her way back and was sitting across from him, her laptop in front of her too, she had gotten some updated from her team members, but nothing concrete yet, so there wasn't much she could do except to wait and do some research of her own.

The frightened scream from the back startled him out of the daze he'd fallen into and he was on his feet in a second, heading quickly down the hall. "Mia?"

She was standing and following Oliver a second later, but paused when she heard a second cry from the other room, across from Mia's, "Connor?" She said quietly to Oliver, the teenager's scream seemed to have woken the baby.

He turned to glance at her. "Would you mind?" His eyes were filled with worry.

"No, go ahead," Chloe assured him, looking at him for a moment before heading in the direction of the nursery.

"Thanks," he murmured, ducking into Mia's room and flipping on the light. "Mia? Hey, hey."

Mia was sitting in her bed, her eyes wide, her breathing fast and unsteady and she didn't even blink when he turned the lights on.

"Mia?" He moved over to her bed and sat down on the edge of it. "It's okay. You're safe," he whispered.

She swallowed hard and took a deep shaky breath as her eyes focused on him.

Oliver reached out to her, his eyes worried. "You had a bad dream, but it's okay now. Everything's all right."

Mia flinched and moved away, then stopped and sighed, looking down as she closed her eyes, "he was here."

He looked down for a moment, then back at her once more. "He's gone now," he said softly. "And no one here is going to hurt you."

She sighed again and rubbed her face then looked over at him and hesitated before shifting closer and wrapping her arms around him.

Oliver smiled faintly and hugged her back without hesitation. "It's okay," he murmured.

Mia leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes again, "I can't believe that bastard is giving me nightmares again."

He stroked her hair gently, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "They'll go away soon," Oliver promised.

She shifted on the bed and pulled away a little then nodded, "Chloe isn't gonna get in trouble, is she?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "She's not in trouble. It was self-defense."

"It wasn't," Mia told him, "he wasn't attacking her."

He smiled a bit. "It's still considered self-defense if you're protecting someone else."

"Oh," she frowned and looked down then nodded, "good."

Oliver tucked some hair behind her ear. "Chloe's here, actually."

Mia looked up at him and cocked her head, "she is?"

He nodded and offered her a smile. "Want to come say hi?"

"I guess I should thank her," she said quietly.

"I'll be thanking her for the rest of my life," he told her just as quietly.

"Who _is_ she?" Mia asked, lowering her voice even more. She knew Chloe had worked with Oliver before and she knew they had been friends back in Metropolis but there seemed to be a lot more to the woman.

He drew in a breath and looked down for a moment, considering his words. "Someone I care about very much," he admitted, lowering his voice, too.

"Yeah, I got that much," from Dinah, actually, but he didn't need to know that.

"It's complicated," Oliver said softly.

With a deep breath, Mia shrugged and nodded, "right, don't ask questions."

"Just not when she's in the next room." He offered her a small, faint smile. "I'll tell you more later."

Pursing her lips together, Mia considered then nodded, "okay."

"You hungry?" he asked, holding his hand out to her.

"No really," she took his hand and moved to the edge of the bed to stand up.

"Okay." He tried to keep the hint of worry out of his voice as he rose to his feet, helping her up, as well.

Mia stood up and let go of his hand, stretching a little then looking down, she was wearing PJs, but she really didn't want to change because of Chloe.

He smiled a little, and headed for the door, not terribly surprised by the quiet from across the hall. Connor seemed to love Chloe, and tended to stop crying or fussing when she was holding him.

Mia started toward the living room and frowned a little when she realized it was empty.

Oliver stepped into the nursery, watching as Chloe cuddled Connor close to her, rocking him gently back and forth as she sat in the rocking chair. He held his breath for a moment, trying to get past the idea of how natural it all seemed in that moment.

Chloe didn't realize she was being observed, she was far too concentrated on the infant in her arms. She didn't understand why or how she managed to calm him down, but she found it fascinating that she did. And the fact that he was staring up at her, seemingly just as fascinated by her as she was by him, it made it nearly impossible to look away.

A soft smile tugged at his lips as he watched the two of them together silently, though he felt Mia come up to stand right beside him.

Mia raised her eyebrows and looked from Chloe and Connor to Oliver, then cocked her head, "gonna drool some more?"

He blinked a couple of times and looked down at her, giving her a look before glancing across the room to Chloe once again.

Chloe also blinked when she head Mia's voice, but didn't really catch what she'd said. She looked up from Connor and smiled a little, embarrassed, "I'm not sure if he's hungry or needs a diaper change, but he stopped crying."

Oliver smiled faintly. "He ate not that long ago, so he's probably all right," he said softly.

Nodding slightly, Chloe looked back down when Connor shifted.

Mia watched the exchange and frowned, she wasn't sure what she was missing, but she guessed it was a lot.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Are you hungry?" he asked Chloe.

"A little," she told him, turning to look up at him once more.

"Why don't I start something for dinner?" he suggested, glancing at Mia and then back at Chloe.

Mia frowned harder at that, "dinner? How long did I sleep?"

"You've been out for a few hours," he said softly.

"Right, I guess I need a shower, you know, to wake up," Mia told him.

He nodded a little. "How's lasagna sound?" he offered, knowing it was one of her favorites.

"Okay," Mia said with a shrug.

Chloe frowned a little at Mia's tone, not that she was rude, but because she sounded a little too automatic, but she didn't look up from the baby, wanting to give the two some privacy.

Oliver kissed her forehead. "I'll get it started," he said softly.

"Thanks," Mia told him then looked up at him before starting back toward her room.

He watched her go, frowning worriedly.

Chloe shifted on the chair once Mia was gone, trying to get up but not sure how she would manage to do it without dropping the baby.

Drawing in a breath, Oliver moved over to her side, holding his arms out so she could hand him Connor and stand up. "You're really good with him," he said quietly.

"Thank you," Chloe told him, handing him the baby carefully, "I'm-- not really sure why."

Oliver pressed a kiss to Connor's head and glanced at her briefly. "I have a pretty good idea," he said.

Chloe stood up and frowned slightly, "you do?"

He hesitated a moment. "You uh...you look like her."

"Like who?" She asked stretching her arms in front of her.

He swallowed hard, looking down at his son. "Like his mom."

Her eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up as she looked down at Connor then back at Oliver, "I do?"

Oliver nodded wordlessly, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Oh..." Chloe whispered, blinking, the woman Oliver had cheated on Dinah with looked like _her_ , so much that even Connor thought that she was... Chloe shook her head a little, that was not what she'd expected, at all.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "I should get that lasagna started," he said quietly.

"Maybe I should go," she suggested quietly.

"No," he said softly, shaking his head. "Stay. I think...Mia wants to talk to you."

"Are you sure?" Chloe asked, "she seemed uncomfortable and I don't want to bring back bad memories."

He nodded a little. "She'll be all right."

With a deep breath, she nodded a little and looked down at the baby, "I can take him if you wanna start on the food."

Oliver nodded, carefully shifting Connor into her arms once more, meeting her eyes for a brief moment. "Thanks."

Chloe's chest tightened when the baby held out his arms for her and giggled, she picked him up carefully and nodded slightly at Oliver.

His chest tightened, too and he swallowed hard before he headed down the hall.

She turned her back to the hall and hugged the baby close, looking down at him and smiling sadly, "sorry, Connor, but I'm not who you think I am," she whispered.

Connor simply looked up at her with big brown eyes and cooed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Metropolis--May 14, 2009**

It had actually worked. The black kryptonite had split Davis Bloome from the Kryptonian monster residing inside him. 

Despite the fact that said Kryptonian monster was now buried miles beneath Metropolis’ depths, Oliver still couldn’t help but feeling on edge as he made his way toward the tower that Jimmy had bought for Chloe with a very large loan from him. Ollie didn’t care about the money, didn’t care if he ever saw any of it again. If the tower made Chloe happy, that was all that mattered to him. 

He wondered what her reaction had been when she’d finally seen it for the first time. 

Oliver stepped into the building after making a quick stop at the clock tower to change out of his uniform and into a plain black shirt and jeans. He took the steps two at a time, anxious to tell Chloe that the beast was gone, but when he stepped into the main room and found her knelt down on the floor, Jimmy’s head in her lap as she cried, he froze. 

Chloe sobbed quietly as she pulled Jimmy closer, his body was heavy, his head had rolled against her arm and his forehead was pressed against her jacket, “I’m sorry,” she whispered between sobs.

“Chloe?” Oliver’s voice was barely audible as he remained standing in the same place, unable to bring himself to move.

She stilled and sniffed as she raised her head to look up in the direction of the voice, even if she couldn’t see well since her vision was blurred by tears.

He felt his chest tighten at the sight of blood, and that spurred him into action. He quickly moved over toward her, not even noticing Davis’ body a few feet away. His eyes were locked on Chloe. “Are you hurt?” 

Shaking her head slightly, she swallowed hard and looked back down at Jimmy, brushing her hand over his hair.

Oliver knelt down beside her, reaching out and pressing his fingers to Jimmy’s throat, closing his eyes when he found no pulse. 

“I didn’t have time,” she said in a whisper, hugging Jimmy closer.

“What happened?” he whispered back.

“Davis,” she sobbed quietly, closing her eyes again.

He looked up, and then over at the other body that lay nearby and swallowed hard, his heart beating quickly in his chest. 

She leaned further down and pressed a kiss to Jimmy’s forehead, her hands shaking slightly as she reached to cup his cheek.

Oliver sat down on the floor, closing his eyes and rubbing a hand over his face. His mind was whirling with thoughts that he couldn’t discern. He knew calls had to be made...the police, the coroner...but the idea of reaching for his cell phone didn’t even register.

Chloe was grateful for the silence, she didn’t want to move, to let go of him. Jimmy’s blood was all over the floor, but she wasn’t paying attention to it. She had heard his last breath, felt it, even as she tried to pull herself together enough to call for help, but it wouldn’t have mattered. She felt as he went limp, as his heart stopped, she couldn’t tell how much time had gone by, but his skin felt colder.

“We need to call someone,” he murmured.

She remained quiet for a long moment, swallowing hard before asking the question she wasn’t sure she wanted to ask, “where is Clark?”

“I don’t know.” His voice was quiet.

“Did it work?” She asked after a long moment of silence.

“Not well enough.” He rubbed a hand over his face.

At that, she finally lifted her head and opened her eyes, looking over at him, fear clearly on her face. He looked back at her, shaking his head a little and glancing to Davis silently. 

She glanced at Davis and blew out a breath, a dry sob breaking through her again, “it’s my fault.”

“Chloe...don’t.” 

She closed her eyes, starting to cry again as she lowered her head once more.

“You did what you thought was best,” he said, his voice harsher than he intended for it to be, his own guilt and sorrow tearing at him. “Don’t ever forget that.” 

Chloe remained quiet, the only sound she was making were quiet sobs as she held on to Jimmy. She stayed that way for a long time, but she could still feel Oliver’s eyes on her, she wanted to tell him to leave, but she didn’t know how to. “He’s cold.” She whispered finally.

He felt sick. Part of him wanted to get the hell out of there. To grab her and carry her away--forcefully if necessary. To just get them out of there. The other part of him was frozen. Too shocked, too horrified to move, to do anything. They needed to call someone. “We need to call the police.” 

She looked at Oliver once more, her eyes red, her expression blank, “we should call J’onn.”

“Right,” he murmured, nodding as he slid his hand into his jeans pocket to retrieve his cell phone. 

Chloe looked back down at Jimmy, her stomach turning as she touched his cheek, his skin cold and he felt.. rigid. She finally felt like he was _gone_ , Jimmy wasn’t in there anymore, he was empty.

He made the call, though in all honesty he wasn’t even sure what he said when J’onn was on the line. Distantly he heard the other man promise that he’d be there soon, that they’d figure it out. That things would be okay. 

He looked at Chloe, still holding Jimmy’s lifeless body. 

Things wouldn’t be okay.

Things wouldn’t be okay ever again.

* * *

Dinner had been quiet, there had been some conversation, mostly about Connor, Oliver and mostly Mia talking about things the baby boy had done. Chloe had listened, but hadn’t said much, she didn’t have neutral little stories to tell. 

Once they were finished, Mia said she’d do the dishes, but Chloe insisted on helping, since Oliver had done all the cooking, he went into the living room with Connor to feed him his bottle and eventually, put him to bed. 

“Where do the plates go?” Chloe asked as she picked up clean ones from the dish washer.

“Above the sink,” Mia said, glancing at her sideways. “I think you might be too short to reach.” There was a hint of teasing in her voice.

Chloe smiled a little at that, raising her eyebrows, “you’re not that much taller, you know?”

The younger girl grinned. “It’s a good excuse to get out of putting dishes away.” 

“Maybe we should just get Ollie to do all of it,” she teased, even if she was relieved that she could have some time away from him.

“That’s why I suggested we move them there,” Mia told her with a smirk. “It’s worked out pretty well.” 

“Smart,” Chloe agreed, picking up the plates and tiptoeing dangerously as she tried to place them above the sink.

Mia grinned when she managed to get the plates in place, then turned her attention to the dishes she was washing. “So about last night.” She drew in a breath.

Raising her eyebrows, Chloe glanced sideways at Mia, a little surprised at her bluntness, “yes?”

“Thanks.” She fidgeted a little, keeping her eyes down. “You know, for saving my life.” 

She pursed her lips together then shook her head a little, she wasn’t exactly used to being thanked for doing her job, “you don’t need to thank me, Mia. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Yes, I do, because other than Ollie and Dinah, I’ve never really met anyone else who would’ve bothered,” she said bluntly, looking at her. 

Chloe raised her eyebrows a little, her chest a little tight as she remembered what Oliver had told her about Mia’s past, “I’ll be glad to help you with anything you need,” she said sincerely, watching Mia closely.

Mia pursed her lips for a moment, studying Chloe right back. “Well, Ollie trusts you. So you’re okay with me.” 

She smiled slightly at the younger girl and nodded, “thank you.”

She smiled back faintly, looking down once more. “How long have you guys known each other?” 

Chloe took a deep breath at the question and shook her head a little, “seven or eight years?” She told Mia, “something like that.”

“That’s a long time.” 

“It is,” she agreed as she turned to the dishwasher once more, “except we haven’t really spoken in the past five years.”

“Because of Dinah?” she asked curiously.

“No,” she said sincerely, glancing at Mia as she put some glasses away in the cupboard she’d seen Ollie pulling them out of earlier, “we just went our separate ways.”

Mia frowned at that, glancing over at her. “Really?” That didn’t make a whole lot of sense to Mia, considering how Oliver had been acting since Chloe had shown up again.

“Yeah,” Chloe told her, “we...” she paused and took a deep breath, “we lost a friend in common and it was hard on all of us.”

Her expression softened a little at that. “Oh.” 

“But I’m glad I ran into Ollie again when I did,” she admitted, her own words caught her by surprise as she heard them, she wasn’t lying, but if she had any intention of forcing herself to leave, talking like that wasn’t going to make that easier.

“So am I,” Mia admitted quietly.

Chloe cocked her head and gave Mia a questioning look.

She shrugged a little, looking uncomfortable. “He’s been less...on edge in general.” 

“He has?” She asked quietly, frowning a little. Ollie seemed pretty stressed out to her, not that she blamed him.

“I mean, he’s still stressed because of the serial killer thing and all but...I don’t know. There’s something different. More relaxed?” Mia glanced at her and shrugged again. 

“I wouldn’t be able to tell, but as long as you think it’s been better, then that’s good,” Chloe said, giving the teenager a quick smile before going back to the dishes.

She watched her for a moment longer, then focused on washing the rest of the dishes. “So what are you?” she asked casually. 

Chloe blinked and frowned a little, glancing at Mia once again, “excuse me?”

“Well, you weren’t wearing a costume, so I assume vigilante is out.” Mia raised an eyebrow at her. “But you know about Ollie’s identity, and probably mine and Dinah’s, so...” 

Considering for a moment, Chloe nodded a little, she was definitely _not_ going to tell Mia everything, but she could still tell her a partial truth, “I do the same kind of work that you guys do.”

“Going after bad guys.” 

“Exactly,” Chloe agreed, turning to the dishwasher once more.

Mia nodded a little. “Ollie said you wouldn’t be in trouble for helping me.” 

“No,” Chloe assured her, putting away the silverware, “everything has been taken care of.”

“Good,” she said quietly. 

Once Chloe was done, the took a deep breath and turned toward Mia once more, “I’m really sorry you had to be there for that, Mia.”

The younger girl shrugged a little. “Wrong place, wrong time. Story of my life.” 

She winced a little and took a step closer to Mia, “not always.”

Mia glanced at her. “All but once.” 

“When Ollie helped you?” Chloe asked quietly.

“The one time I got lucky. Well, twice now, technically.” She smiled very faintly.

“I think you being here is you being in the right place, at the right time,” Chloe corrected her quietly.

Mia paused at that, then nodded, smiling a little more. “Yeah. You’re right.” 

Relaxing a little, Chloe nodded and smiled more too, “you mean a lot to him.”

She ducked her head a little, smiling shyly. “I never believed guys like Ollie even existed until he showed up,” she admitted. 

“They really are rare,” Chloe agreed, her chest tightening a little as she thought about the conversation they had had earlier, about him kissing her, “can’t really let them go,” she added quietly, her stomach turning at the thought of staying.

“Then we don’t,” Mia said firmly, looking up at Chloe once more. “The guy’s stuck with me whether he likes it or not.” 

Chloe glanced at Mia and smiled, nodding. “I think he will be glad to hear that.”

“He’d be glad to hear he’s stuck with you, too,” Mia said matter-of-factly.

At that, Chloe paused and blinked, raising her eyebrows before shaking her head, “we’ll see how that works out.”

“I just hope it does,” she said quietly.

Chloe was quiet for a moment then turned to Mia, lowering her voice when she spoke, “how were things with Dinah?”

She grimaced a little. “Tense. I mean, she was nice to me and everything but...I don’t know. They never seemed right for each other. They didn’t really get along very well.” 

“Was it tense all the time or was it okay most of the time with some tension?” Chloe asked curiously.

“It was better than living with my dad or Rick,” she said without hesitation. “But neither of them was happy. And when Connor’s mom dropped him off on the doorstep...” She glanced at Chloe. “It got really bad then.” 

Chloe had no idea what had happened with Mia’s dad or who Rick was, but she guessed both subjects had to do with how she got to the Mayor’s party that night and she didn’t want to upset Mia so she chose not to ask. She did wince at the mention of Connor’s mom, however, “I can imagine, and I can’t blame Dinah for being angry, but I guess if things weren’t working out between them, they should have done something about it before it got to that point...”

Mia glanced toward the living room, then back at Chloe. “The thing is, Dinah knew about the affair long before then,” she said, her voice dropping. “Ollie told her.” 

Her eyed widened a little at the information, “he did?” Chloe asked, sincerely shocked that Ollie told Dinah about it and Dinah had chosen to stay.

She nodded a little. “But I guess finding out that Ollie had a son that resulted from it was too much for her.” She looked down.

“That does seem a lot to deal with,” Chloe agreed, and as much as she wanted to ask more questions about that, she stopped herself, “have you been talking to Dinah since she moved out?”

Mia shook her head a little. “Not really. I mean, we weren’t close.” She shrugged a little. 

“Oh.” Chloe frowned, “I figured with you two living here..”

“Dinah’s just kind of...a loner, I guess. And I’m not sure how happy she was with me being here,” Mia admitted. “I mean, we got along okay, but...I don’t know.” 

“I guess maybe it’s better this way, then, from what you’re telling me,” Chloe summarized quietly.

“Connor should be able to grow up around people who love him and not someone who resents him. I mean, what Ollie did was wrong, but...it wasn’t Connor’s fault,” Mia said just as quietly.

“Oh,” now it made more sense where Mia was coming from, pursing her lips, she watched the younger girl then nodded slightly, “I agree, I hadn’t thought about it that way.”

Mia smiled faintly and turned back to the sink once more.

Chloe hesitated for a second then placed a hand on Mia’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, “he’s also very lucky to have you.”

She paused and glanced at Chloe, an actual smile lighting up her face. “Thanks.” 

Smiling back, Chloe nodded and dropped her hand before going back to the dishwasher, she hadn’t been sure what to expect when Ollie said Mia wanted to talk to her, but that had been a good conversation to have, if nothing else, Mia gave her more clarity on what Ollie’s life had been like in the past few months.


	15. Chapter 15

After her conversation with Mia, Chloe had been feeling more relaxed. Mia said she had to go get ready for patrol, since with Ollie's arm, he still couldn't be out there. So she went back to the living room, not surprised to see it empty since she guessed Ollie was putting Connor to bed, and started gathering her things. She'd been there all day, so she felt like it was time to go back to the rental, contact her people and do some more work before maybe getting a couple hours of sleep if things were quiet.

Oliver gently brushed his fingers over Connor's blond hair as the baby fell asleep and then he drew in a breath and backed out of the nursery quietly. He paused as he caught sight of Chloe getting her things together. "Heading out?" he asked softly.

Chloe lifted her head when she heard him and glanced over at him, giving him a quick smile then nodding, "yeah, I need to get some more stuff done and it needs to be from the base."

He nodded, watching her silently for a moment. "Thanks again," he said quietly.

She nodded slightly as she closed her laptop bag, "I'll keep an eye on her while she's out there tonight," Chloe told him.

"I appreciate that."

"Not a problem," she told him sincerely, "you should get some rest."

He shook his head a little. "I'll wait for her to get back." His voice was soft.

"I figured as much," Chloe said with a nod, "I meant after."

"Oh." He smiled. "Yeah. After." He hesitated a moment, then reached out and rested a hand on her arm.

At the touch, she paused and looked down at his hand, tensing for a second then willing herself to relax as she looked up at him again.

"Be safe," he said quietly, a hint of worry in his voice.

"I always am," she reassured him in a whisper.

"Good." He gave her arm a gentle squeeze, then let his hand fall away.

Chloe looked down for a moment then took a deep breath, "I should get back."

Oliver nodded and looked down as well. "When uh--when will I see you again?" he asked uncertainly.

"I have some things to take care of," she told him quietly, "but I will stop by sometime tomorrow, hopefully with more information."

"Okay." He offered her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

She paused for a moment then gathered her things into her arms before looking at him again, "I'm thinking about it," she promised, studying his face.

"I know." His voice was very quiet.

Chloe hesitated for a moment then put her things down once more and stepped closer before giving him a hug, unable to ignore the things Mia had told her earlier when they were in the kitchen, about how Ollie seemed less tense when she was around. She also couldn't ignore the memory of their conversation earlier, when he asked her to stay.

Oliver shut his eyes, hugging her back with his uninjured arm and swallowing hard. He blew out a breath, resting his head against hers.

She let her eyes close too and sighed quietly, tightening her arms around him for a moment before pulling back slowly.

He reluctantly let her go, his chest tightening. "Let me know when you've made it back safely?"

Nodding, she picked her things back up, "I'll text you," she promised, giving him a quick smile before start toward the door.

He watched her head away, then took a step forward. "Chloe?"

She opened the door then paused, turning to look at him once more.

He hesitated, then shook his head a little. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Ollie," she told him quietly before making her way out of the penthouse and closing the door behind her.

* * *

Hours later, Oliver was standing by the picture windows, staring out over the city, his forehead leaned against the cool glass. He drew in a breath and let it out slowly as he listened to the quiet of the penthouse. Connor had been asleep since his last bottle, and Mia hadn't returned from patrol yet. He knew Chloe and her team were watching over her while she was out there, but he still felt uneasy about her being out there alone when a hired hitman with some kind of unknown personal vendetta against him was out there, too. He was tense, and weary at the same time. When he heard the key turn in the lock, he turned around, relaxing when he caught sight of his young protege stepping into the apartment, looking none the worse for wear.

Mia wasn't surprised to find Ollie there, waiting for her, "you could have gone to bed, you know?" She teased once the door was safely locked behind her.

He smiled faintly. "Yeah, right."

"It was pretty quiet out there tonight," she told him as she pulled the quiver from her back and pushed her hood down, "stopped a couple of robberies and helped the cops catch some guy that was running for whatever reason, but otherwise, it was pretty boring."

Oliver exhaled slowly, nodding. "Good." He walked over to her and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm glad you're back."

"Did you hear from Chloe?" Mia asked, not bothering to pretend she hadn't heard their conversation earlier.

"Yeah, she texted to let me know she'd made it back," he told her, pressing the button to their secret room where they kept their uniforms and weapons.

Mia took off her cape and placed it on its stand, "although you wish she had just stayed."

"Am I that obvious?" He glanced over at her.

"Like a neon sign on your forehead, you know, the kind they have on Times Square?" She told him with a smirk.

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks, Mia."

"Just being honest," she nudged him with her elbow then stepped out of the small room, "besides, I think she wanted to stay too."

He paused at that, following her out of the room. "What makes you say that?"

"We talked, you know?" She told him, glancing at him over her shoulder as she walked toward the kitchen.

"Right," he murmured, nodding a little. "Are you hungry? I could fix something."

"Nah, I'll eat donuts," she told him, opening the box Chloe had brought by that morning, "anyway, she looks pretty sad too, so you two would be a good match."

"I'm not sad," he protested.

"Yeah, you are, you have the big puppy eyes thing going," Mia pointed out as she took a bite of donut.

Oliver frowned at that, and reluctantly reached out and picked up one of the donuts, as well.

"What _is_ going on between you two?" She asked, leaning against the counter and studying him.

He took a bite of donut and chewed for a moment, considering her question. "I really have no idea." He sighed softly, moving to the fridge to get out the milk.

"Well, you must have some idea if she told you she was thinking about it," Mia pointed out, watching him.

"I asked her not to just disappear when this was all over," he said quietly. He hesitated a moment, looking back at her. "And I kissed her."

Mia's eyes widened a little at that, "you did? What did she do?" She asked eagerly.

A small smile tugged at his lips. "She kissed me back. At first. And then we talked."

"What did you talk about?" Mia asked curiously.

He sat down at the kitchen table after grabbing a couple glasses from the cupboard and pouring each of them a glass of milk. "How isolated she is," he said quietly. "How she hasn't let anyone close in years, and how she's scared to chance it now."

Mia frowned at the information, pursing her lips, "why did you two go so long without talking?"

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, staring down at the table. "I used to work with a team," he said very softly. "She was part of it. So was Dinah. And there were others..." He paused, looking lost in thought. "There was a situation that we all had differing opinions on how to handle, and Chloe's ex-husband wound up dead as a result." He rubbed a hand over his face wearily.

Her eyes widened at that, "is that the 'friend in common' she mentioned?" Mia asked.

"Probably," he said quietly. "His name was Jimmy."

"Is he ex-husband because he died or was he already ex before?"

"Before." He paused. "Jimmy didn't know about the things we did, about who we were. It made things very complicated for the two of them."

"Oh," Mia made a face, "that would suck, were you friends with him, though?"

Oliver was quiet for a moment. "I tried to be. But I wasn't a very good one."

"Because you had feelings for her even back then?" She asked, arching one eyebrow.

He inhaled sharply, picking up his glass of milk and taking a drink, suddenly wishing it was something much stronger instead. "That, too," he whispered.

"Why else?" Mia asked, this time quieter as she noticed his discomfort.

"Because I'm the one who got him involved in the situation that wound up getting him killed," he admitted, blinking a few times to hold back emotions that suddenly overwhelmed him.

"That's what you think anyway, right?" She said, knowing him and how he liked kicking himself for things he had no control over, like when they found out she was sick.

"It's the truth," he said quietly, looking up at her for a moment and then back down at the table. "I asked him to do some investigating on the guy we were trying to figure out how to contain. I knew the guy was bad news, was trouble. Bigger trouble than any of us were prepared to deal with. If I hadn't involved him, he wouldn't have even been around that day."

"Chloe doesn't blame you though," she said matter-of-factly.

"She blames herself," he said softly.

Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes a little, "you two are messed up."

A faint smile tugged at his lips despite the seriousness of the topic.

"We kinda talked about Dinah too," she admitted, watching Ollie, mostly, she wanted to change the subject from something that was only going to turn into him kicking herself, although she wasn't sure Dinah was the best choice to avoid that.

He paused. "Oh?"

"Not a lot," Mia assured him, "I just told her neither one of you were happy and then Connor showed up and Dinah flipped even though she knew."

Oliver fell silent at that, nodding a little.

"I figured if she knew that, she'd be more willing to give you a shot," she told him, cocking her head.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "You like her."

Mia paused and frowned then shrugged, "she's okay, I mean, she saved my ass, besides, Connor likes her and you leave a trail of drool when you follow her around."

He rolled his eyes at that. "You exaggerate more than a stand-up comedian."

She grinned brightly at him then grew serious, "you seem more relaxed around her, more than I've ever seen you anyway."

He smiled a bit and looked down at the table. "We have a complicated history."

"I slept all day, I have time," Mia told him, smirking as she sat down on one of the stools.

Oliver smiled and shook his head a little. "I was dating her cousin the first time we met."

"Scandalous," Mia said with a wider smirk, "let me guess, that didn't work out? You saw Chloe, instantly fell in love with her and dumped the evil cousin?"

An amused smirk touched his lips. "No, not exactly. But Chloe was the first and only person besides yourself who's ever figured out my secret identity without help."

"Good, she's smart like me, although, honestly, Ollie it doesn't take a genius," she told him with a raised eyebrow, "anyway, so she figured it out?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, she figured it out. And yes, she's very smart, like you." He smiled a bit. "We wound up working together on a team of vigilantes with super-powers."

At that, her eyes widened, "super-powers? What kind? Does Chloe have any?"

"All kinds. Everyone on the team was different. And...not to my knowledge," he told her.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, Chloe joined the group, were you still dating her cousin? Did you already have feelings for her?" She asked curiously.

"Not right away. I mean, I liked her and admired her but at first, it was just a one time deal. She walked into my place in Metropolis, informed me she knew all about me, and the team, and she wanted to help us find one of the other team members who'd gone missing." A smile touched his lips at the memory. "I was still dating Lois, but uh, that ended pretty much that same day. I wound up leaving town with the team and I didn't want her to put her life on hold for me."

"Oh," she nodded, considering for a moment then frowning, "didn't you end up living in Metropolis for a while, though?"

"Later," he said, nodding, as well. "Almost a year and a half later. But...Chloe assisted us with a lot of missions in a long-distance capacity before then." He was quiet for a moment. "It was sort of a side job for her. She was a reporter for the Daily Planet."

Mia's eyes widened a little at that, "she was? She doesn't look like a reporter."

He smiled. "She was. And it took a lot of time and convincing, but she wound up joining the team full time after I'd moved back to Metropolis." He paused. "She was the best at what she did. She belonged with us."

"What did she do?"

"She guided us on missions. Watched over us. Her codename was Watchtower." His voice grew soft.

"And she doesn't do that anymore?" Mia asked, frowning a little.

"After Jimmy died, we went our separate ways," he murmured.

"So you don't know exactly what she does either?" She asked him, "because she said she does what we do, except she didn't have a costume on."

"I know she's helping people, but I don't know specifics," he said quietly. It was the truth after all. He _didn't_ know the specifics of Chloe's job.

"I guess it can't be that bad, right? I mean, she was going after that bastard," Mia said, making a face.

"I know she still protects all of our identities," he told her. "She's a good person, and I have no doubt she's great at whatever her job is, exactly."

With a deep breath, Mia nodded, "she sounds like it."

Oliver smiled faintly.


	16. Chapter 16

“I think I saw something,” Chloe whispered against her communicator as she walked down the street by herself, “going on silent,” she told her team as well as Oliver, who had been added to her network without the knowledge of the others. 

Checkmate didn’t share information with anyone, even supposed allies, but Chloe trusted Oliver and he knew the city better than the rest of them, now that his arm was a lot better, she knew he would be crucial if they want to catch the murderer, besides, she knew he would never agree to her setting herself up as bait if he wasn’t there to make sure she was okay. 

But it had been the perfect plan, she had a connection with Oliver and Green Arrow both and she was a woman, which seemed to fit the murderer’s type perfectly. She also looked harmless and he had no way of knowing that she could actually fight back.

“For the record, I still hate this plan,” Oliver said into his own communicator, his body tense as he stood on the rooftop of the Star City Gazette. 

“Target,” Chloe whispered after a long moment of silence, she could sense someone approaching her from behind, so like a good scared victim, she started walking faster without looking back and clung to the purse she’d been holding, which was empty if not for her gun.

“What’s your exact location?” he asked, scanning the streets below for any sight of her. 

But Chloe couldn’t answer, he was too close, his steps right behind hers and although she wanted nothing more than to pull out her gun and shoot him straight in the forehead, she played her part and started running, doing her best impression of wide eyes as she glanced over her shoulder.

“Chloe! Where are you?” Oliver demanded, leaping to the next rooftop and running toward the opposite end of the roof. 

“Okay,” Chloe breathed against the communicator, hoping that would be enough to calm him down, but that same second, she felt hands on her shoulders and felt herself being pulled into a darkened alleyway, so she forced a gasp, which was the signal for the others to approach.

Gritting his teeth, he spotted them, less than a block away, watched as the man forced her into the alley. He cursed under his breath, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. He fired an anchor line to the building across the street. From his vantage point, and his still-healing shoulder, he wasn’t convinced his aim would be accurate enough to take the suspect down. 

She gasped louder, this time not so much faking it, as her back hit the wall hard, blinking, she stared up at the masked man and had to stop herself from smirking. He had fallen right into their trap.

“Finally hit the jackpot, didn’t I?” the man said with a smirk of his own. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, who are you?” She pretended to fidget with her purse as she reached for the gun.

“That doesn’t matter, _Watchtower_.” He reached out and grabbed her purse, jerking it away from her. 

Chloe’s jaw clenched instantly, she was unarmed. Well, she had her body, which would have to do until back-up arrived, “you’ve done your homework, unfortunately, I don’t answer to that name anymore.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he informed her. “All that matters is how badly your death will mess up Green Arrow.” He pulled the blade from his side, holding it up. 

“Why bother finishing the job? The Mayor is dead, _I_ made sure of it, you have no one left to sign your check,” Chloe pointed out, but didn’t back away at the sight of the knife.

“Because this is personal,” he informed her, sliding the blade of the knife lightly across her neck. 

“I can say the same,” she murmured, quickly ducking away from the blade and punching him as hard as she could between his legs, one of the advantages of fighting someone twice your size.

He growled, reaching out and grabbing her by her hair, slamming her head back against the brick wall. 

Groaning, Chloe closed her eyes at the impact, realizing then that her opponent was strong, possibly super-humanly so. She knew he was trying to knock her out, but she was ready to fight it, she only had to hold on long enough for the others to arrive.

Without warning, he brought the knife down, slashing across her chest. “Bitch.” 

There was a sudden burning sensation over her chest and she didn’t have to look down to know she was bleeding, but still, she lifted her right hand and wrapped her fingers around his mask, pulling on it, “show your face, coward.”

Glaring at her, he didn’t bother to try and pull the mask out of her grasp. Instead, he drew back and slammed the knife into her stomach, twisting it viciously. 

The burning she felt earlier increased after a sharp pain in her stomach, her eyes widened in realization of what had just happened and her hands dropped to hold on to his arm in an attempt to pull the knife away, she gasped and stared up at him as all the pain she was feeling disappeared, along with the feeling in both her legs.

He smirked at her, twisting the knife a little more and then suddenly his grip on it loosened as an arrow lodged itself in his forehead and he fell backwards silently. 

“Chloe!” Oliver dropped down to the alley a second later, quickly moving to her side, fear clutching at him.

Chloe’s knees gave under her once the man fell, taking the knife with him. And although she knew she was collapsing, she didn’t feel as her knees his the ground. Her vision was getting blurry and she could hear herself coughing in the distance, but couldn’t feel it happen.

“Oh God. No,” he whispered, quickly sliding an arm around her back before she could fall any farther. He gently eased her down to the pavement, pressing his hand over the wound in her stomach. “Chloe? Stay with me!” His chest felt tight as he pressed the button on the communicator that would dial Mia.

She coughed harder, blood appearing in the corners of her mouth as she did and although she tried to focus on Oliver, her eyelids felt like they were made of steel and closed slowly over her eyes on their own accord. 

He kept his eyes on her as he told Mia their location and had her call for an ambulance. He reached his other hand up and touched Chloe’s face. “Chloe. Come on, stay awake,” he ordered, his voice distorted. He was dimly aware that other people were approaching the alley--he could hear their footsteps. 

“Knight approaching Queen,” the man who was ahead of the others spoke against his earpiece, stilling when he saw a man holding her in his arms. 

“Knight to Rook,” he said again as he approached the man he knew to be the Green Arrow, “the Queen is down, send reinforcements.” And with that, he finally approached the two of them, “we can handle it from here, leave.”

His jaw tightened and he looked up at the man, glaring at him even though the ‘Knight’ couldn’t see it due to his glasses. “Hell no.” 

“You are a civilian, our orders are explicit, no civilian gets involved, you’re delaying her getting assistance,” the Knight explained as he approached, his eyes down on his leader.

“There’s already an ambulance on the way and in case you failed to notice, _this_ civilian was the one who took out the suspect,” he growled before turning his attention back to Chloe. 

“Knight to Rook,” he growled too when he spoke, “the Queen will be taken to a hospital by masked civilian, contact clean up team, suspect is also down.”

Oliver kept one hand against the wound in her stomach to help stop the bleeding, his breathing a little ragged as he tried to contain his emotions. 

Seconds later, the ambulance sirens started approaching, Knight looked down at the man then spoke into the earpiece once more, “ambulances approaching locations, agents stand by.” He turned down to the masked man, “I can get her in there, you shouldn’t be here, she wouldn’t want you to.”

He looked up at the man once more. “I”m not leaving her.” 

Knight stared down for a long moment then shook his head and as the red and blue lights started to illuminate the alley, he disappeared in the shadows toward the back of it.

Swallowing hard, Oliver looked down at Chloe again. “It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered. 

* * *

Hours later, Emil discarded his gloves and made his way out of the OR, walking down the hallway as he tried to find Oliver.

He was pacing the waiting area as Mia sat nearby holding Connor. She’d brought him a change of clothes shortly after he’d arrived at the hospital and ‘Green Arrow’ had disappeared, leaving Oliver in his wake. The moment he spotted Emil, he moved over toward him, fear in his eyes. “How is she?” 

Emil looked at Oliver for a moment then shook his head, “it’s hard to tell. We’ve done everything we could at this point, now we have to wait and see how she reacts to it.”

He stared at the other man in disbelief. 

“Why don’t you and Mia go home? I will call you as soon as something changes,” he promised.

“No,” he said immediately, shaking his head. “I’m not leaving her.” 

“There is nothing you can do here,” Emil said sincerely, “she lost a lot of blood, she won’t be awake for at least another day or two.”

“I don’t care,” he responded. “I’m not leaving her alone. Not again.” He drew in a breath and looked back at Mia. “If you want to go home, it’s okay.” 

Mia had been watching the interaction in silence, but shook her head too, “no, I’ll stay.”

His eyes softened and he nodded, turning to look back at Emil. “We’re staying.” 

Emil sighed softly and nodded, “I’ll check on rooms available so the three of you can at least get some rest.”

“Thank you,” he said quietly, watching the doctor head away. He raked a hand through his hair and resumed pacing the floor.

Mia sighed a little and and looked down at Connor, it didn’t sound good, but at least she wasn’t dead.

“How are you doing?” he asked, glancing over at her even as he paced. 

She shrugged a shoulder, “it’d be better if he could tell us more than ‘I don’t know.’”

“That’s not...” He paused, shaking his head and moved to sit down beside her. “I meant, have you eaten today?” They’d been in the waiting area for hours, and he couldn’t remember if she’d gone to get anything to eat or not. 

“Yeah I ate that candy bar,” she told him, looking back down at Connor.

Oliver grimaced at that, and shifted, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. “Here,” he said, pulling out some money. “Why don’t you get something from the cafeteria?” 

Mia considered him for a moment then took it from him, “only if you eat too.”

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Deal.” 

She shifted Connor in her arms and held him out to Ollie, “what do you want?”

He took his son from her and cradled him against his chest expertly. “Something with a lot of protein,” he suggested. 

“I’ll see what I can find,” Mia told him before walking toward the elevator.

“Mia?” 

“Yeah?” She turned to look at him with a frown.

“Thank you.” He met her gaze and offered her a small smile.

“You make it sound like I’m paying for it,” she teased, smirking a little even if she knew what he meant.

His smile widened a little and he shook his head. 

“Call me if you hear anything,” she told him before walking away.

“I will,” Oliver promised quietly, looking down at Connor, who was fast asleep in his arms. He kissed the baby’s forehead and shut his eyes. 

He just hoped the news would be good.


	17. Chapter 17

Oliver paced the floor. It had been hours. Hours, and no change in Chloe’s condition. 

Hours, and he still hadn’t been allowed to see her despite the fact that Dr. Hamilton was on his payroll. 

He rubbed a hand over his face, glancing over to where Mia lay on the small sofa, Connor asleep in her arms even as she slept. He was grateful he wasn’t alone, even though he felt guilty that they were there. He knew how she felt about hospitals. 

When a familiar voice rang through the air, Oliver turned to see Lois Lane at the nurse’s station, not looking happy.

“No!” Lois told the nurse, “I was called here because my cousin was admitted, I _demand_ to see her and I’m not waiting for some doctor to tell me how she is, I wanna know _RIGHT NOW_!”

“Lois.” He swallowed hard, approaching her slowly from behind. He hadn’t seen her in nearly six years. 

Lois stopped yelling when she heard her name, turning around, her eyes widening even more when she saw Oliver, looking horrible, but she was relieved to see a familiar face that might have answers, “where is she?” Nevermind what Oliver was doing there, she wanted to know if he knew about Chloe.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “She’s in the ICU. They’re not letting anyone in to see her. They uh--they did emergency surgery and none of her organs were punctured, but...they don’t know much beyond that.” 

“Is she gonna be okay?” Lois asked exasperatedly. 

“They don’t know,” he said quietly, looking down.

Her mouth suddenly felt dry, “what _do_ you know?”

Oliver hesitated a moment, then nodded slightly toward the waiting room, more out of earshot from the nurses and passing patients. When they’d moved into the smaller room, he raked a hand through his hair. “She was attacked by a man named Slade Wilson,” he said softly. “He was a hired hitman that was killing people here in the city.” 

“I heard about him,” her jaw tightened, “what did he want with my cousin?”

At that, Oliver flinched and looked away. “To get to the Green Arrow,” he whispered.

Her eyes widened slightly and she reached for her phone, “where is he?”

“He’s dead, Lois.” 

Lois stared at him for a moment then took a deep breath and nodded, “good.”

He didn’t respond, simply looked back at her wordlessly.

She was also silent for a moment, sliding her phone back into her purse, “do you think she’ll make it?”

Oliver opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. He rubbed a hand over his face. “She has to.” 

Lois watched him for a second then took a deep breath, “when can we see her?”

“I don’t know,” he murmured.

She sighed again and shook his head, “I’m gonna go call Clark and let him know.”

He barely managed to suppress a grimace. If there was one person on the planet he didn’t really want to see anytime soon, it was Clark Kent. “All right.” 

Lois looked at him and took a deep breath then turned around and walked away, rubbing a hand over her face.

Oliver watched her go, then glanced back to Mia and Connor, both still asleep. He wasn’t terribly surprised when a gust of wind hit him a moment later. 

Bart looked around the waiting room for a moment then his eyes fell on Oliver, his eyes were wide as he stared at him, “what happened?” He asked, his jaw a little tight as he approached the other man.

He blinked a few times, not having expected to see Bart. “How did you...?” 

“Dr. Hamilton,” Bart explained, staring at Oliver, “the others are on their way.”

Oliver swallowed hard, nodding. “She was attacked. Stabbed,” he said quietly, not quite meeting the younger man’s eyes.

“By the same person who attacked you?” 

“Yes.” He looked away.

Bart swallowed, “how bad is it?”

“Emil doesn’t know for sure,” he said softly. “She lost a lot of blood.” 

“Is there anything we can do?” He asked, frowning hard.

Oliver rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know,” he admitted. 

“I’m staying,” Bart announced, walking over to one of the chairs and sitting down.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “Bart.”

Bart raised his eyebrows and looked up at Oliver. He smiled a bit and then glanced over silently to where Mia and Connor lay sleeping. Bart frowned slightly then glanced over at the girl and the baby, frowning and looking back at Oliver.

He hesitated a moment, then sat down beside Bart silently. “Her name’s Mia. She’s been helping me,” he said softly. “And the baby’s name is Connor.” He paused. “He’s my son.” 

At that, Bart’s eyes widened and he stared over at the baby then at Mia then at Oliver, “weren’t you dating Dinah?”

Oliver averted his eyes. “I was,” he said softly.

“Then why do you have a baby with her?” He asked, nodding at Mia.

His eyes widened a little. “Mia’s not his mom,” he said, shaking his head. 

“Oh,” Bart frowned even more now, “Dinah?”

“No,” he said softly. “Someone else.” 

“Right,” Bart looked over at the baby for a moment longer, “how old is he?”

“Nine months,” he said quietly.

“Oh,” he said with a nod then glanced over at Oliver.

He smiled faintly.

* * *

Clark had flown to Star City the second he got Lois’ call and after calming her down outside, they finally made their way to the waiting room, he hadn’t seen Chloe in almost a year, which wasn’t unusual for them these days, and now he felt guilty for not keeping a close eye on his former best friend, it wasn’t hard to tell she had been troubled since Jimmy’s death, but he knew she hadn’t wanted him around even after he came back from his training so he’d kept his distance even when she was in town. 

“I just can’t believe this is happening again,” Lois mumbled, rubbing a hand over her face as they walked into the hospital. 

He rubbed a hand over her back soothingly, “I will see if I can find out anything else.”

She nodded and exhaled slowly, moving over to sit down in the waiting room silently. 

Clark pressed a kiss to her temple then looked around, his ears already trying to pick up any useful information even as they walked toward the group of familiar faces.

Oliver sat on the far side of the waiting room beside Mia, staring blankly at the ground. But when Lois walked back in, he glanced up and spotted Clark.

Bart was still there too, a couple of chairs from Oliver’s and his eyes were on Clark and Lois when he saw them walking into the room too, he glanced at Victor, who had arrived moments earlier then back at the couple, this was some kind of reunion, but he’d rather never see those people again if those were the circumstances. 

Oliver drew in a breath, starting to feel a little claustrophobic. He glanced at Mia sideways. “You want some coffee?” he asked, his voice very quiet, not wanting to draw any extra attention to himself. 

Mia looked around suspiciously, she didn’t know any of those people and she didn’t care to find out who they were either, “no, I’m okay.”

He bit his lip. He’d already told her about who Lois was, though they hadn’t officially met yet. “Minus Lois, this is part of the old team,” he told her.

She glanced at the woman and nodded, “she’s Chloe’s cousin,” she said quietly, the woman’s screams earlier had woken her up even if she had remained with her eyes closed, she was good at faking sleep.

Oliver nodded slightly, then glanced in Victor’s direction. “That’s Victor Stone,” he murmured to her, glancing at Bart next. “Bart Allen.” He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. “And Clark Kent.” 

Mia looked around as he pointed them out, the names didn’t mean anything to her, but if Oliver’s tone was anything to go by, she didn’t like this Clark guy.

He glanced away from Clark almost immediately, wondering how long it would take before AC showed up, as well. 

Clark leaned closer to Lois after a long moment and shook his head, “no one is talking about her.” He said in a whisper.

She looked up at him and sighed softly. “Thanks for trying.” 

“You’re welcome,” he told her quietly, looking around the room, frowning slightly when he saw Oliver and a younger girl talking to one another and a baby that looked a lot like Oliver on her lap.

Lois followed his gaze and paused, taking in the sight of the young girl and the baby for the first time since she’d gotten there. She cocked her head to the side, her eyes widening a little as she looked at Clark. 

Clark held her gaze and frowned, “did you know..?”

“No. I had no idea.” 

Mia noticed the two of them whispering and glancing in their direction and glared, “you can quit staring, the kid isn’t mine,” she said bluntly, glaring at them.

Oliver winced a little and drew in a breath, letting it out slowly as all eyes turned to them. “But he is mine.” 

Clark shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Lois then adjusted his tie as he looked down. 

Rolling her eyes, Mia adjusted Connor, “it’s none of their business anyway.” 

“And you would be?” Lois asked, cocking an eyebrow as she gazed at the younger girl.

“None of your business too,” she said, her expression blank if not for the glare she was now giving the older woman, for someone who was Chloe’s cousin, the two of them seemed nothing alike.

Oliver drew in a breath, reaching out and giving Mia’s arm a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay,” he murmured, glancing at her sideways. 

“Yeah, right,” Mia told him, frowning and rolling her eyes, “whatever.”

He leaned closer to her. “I don’t have any problems with Lois, Mia.” 

“Maybe you should,” she told him in a whisper then handed him Connor, “I’m gonna go get food.”

Oliver carefully took the infant from her, looking up at her. “You need money?” 

“Still got some,” she told him, giving Lois and Clark a look before making her way to the elevator. 

Clark watched her and sighed, rubbing Lois’ back then frowning at Oliver.

“It’s been a long few days,” he told them, drawing in a breath and rising to his feet, holding his son close to him. 

“She knows Chloe?” Clark asked quietly, he didn’t know the girl and was sure he’d never heard of her or about Oliver’s son before.

“Yeah.” He paused as Connor began to stir a little from his nap. Rocking him gently, he glanced at Lois, then back at Clark. “They met shortly after Chloe showed up here in Star City.” 

“What was she doing here?” Bart asked after being silent for a long time.

He hesitated, then shook his head a little. “Just needed a change of scenery, I guess.” 

Bart looked at Oliver for a moment then shrugged before leaning back against his chair and glancing at Vic again, suspiciously.

Clark caught Oliver’s hesitation and Bart’s suspicious, there was a lot Chloe hadn’t been telling them and he and Lois both knew that, but they had made an agreement not to ask, or at least try not to ask in Lois’ case, but it seemed like Oliver knew the truth and was hiding it, but why would Chloe tell him of all people...

Victor studied Oliver for a moment, just as aware as Clark and Bart, and likely Lois, that Oliver wasn’t telling the complete truth. “How old is he?” he asked, nodding toward the baby. 

“Nine months,” he told Victor quietly.

Lois cocked her head and watched the baby, “he looks like you,” she told Oliver, mostly because she felt as Clark tensed behind her and she couldn’t deal with anything else, it was bad enough that Chloe was so badly hurt.

Oliver smiled faintly at that and glanced down at Connor. “Thank you,” he said softly. 

Clark glanced over his shoulder when he heard new yet familiar footsteps, he saw as Dinah made her way toward them and noticed the surprised on her face as she saw everyone there.

“How is she?” Dinah asked, looking between all of them, with the exception of Oliver.

Oliver tensed involuntarily, but kissed the top of his son’s head and moved back over to sit down on the far side of the room, falling silent. 

Lois glanced up at her with vague surprise. “She’s unconscious. They don’t know,” she admitted, squeezing Clark’s arm involuntarily.

Dinah noticed the movement and frowned, looking over at Oliver, “you might wanna call your people, her name is all over the news, this place will be filled with reporters in no time.”

And once more everyone’s attention was focused on him. He shut his eyes for a moment, then nodded a little. “I’ll make some calls when Mia gets back.” 

Bart noticed the tension between them but didn’t say anything for a moment then he shrugged, “we can take him if you wanna go,” he offered Oliver. 

Clark hesitated for a moment then nodded, “it won’t be a problem.”

Oliver hesitated, too, not certain how Connor would react waking up the rest of the way in the arms of a stranger. 

Lois looked around at all the men in the room, and then at Dinah, who didn’t look anymore thrilled with the idea than the guys, and she rolled her eyes. “Oh, for pete’s sake,” she grumbled, rising to her feet. “Give him here.” 

Dinah watched for a moment as Lois took the baby from Oliver then moved to the opposite side of the room and took the seat near VIctor’s and both Bart and Clark suppressed a sigh of relief.

“Honestly.” She shook her head, looking down at the sleepy infant and smiling a bit. He really did look just like his dad. 

Oliver smiled faintly and rose to his feet. “Thanks, Lois,” he whispered, moving to head out of the waiting room.

Clark took a moment before walking over to Lois and smiled a little as the baby snuggled against her, “he likes you.”

“Of course he does. What’s not to like?” She grinned a little, looking up at Clark briefly and then back down at Connor.

“I agree,” Clark whispered, watching her as he fell silent, trying to listen once more as they waited.


	18. Chapter 18

Emil hadn't been surprised when he saw the entire team, with the addition of Lois, Connor and Mia in the living room the next time he came out to let them know Chloe was stable but that they still didn't know if she was going to make it.

It had been what he'd been telling them over and over again for the past seventy-two hours, they all came and went during various times of the day, even Mia had finally agreed to go home with Connor for a while, but two of them had refused to leave and Emil was sure it would have stayed that way no matter how long it took.

With a deep breath, he approached Oliver and Lois, "there has finally been some change." He told both of them as they looked up at him with equally exhausted expressions.

Oliver rose to his feet, looking at Emil wearily. "What's happening?"

"She's awake," Emil told them, "she's not completely aware yet, but she's awake and that's a good sign."

Lois, who was also standing now, took a step forward, "I wanna see her."

He bit his lip, nodding a little. "She is family," he said quietly. "That can't be against hospital policy."

Emil nodded, "you can both see her," he told them, "but you will have to be quiet not to startle her, any movement there is a danger of opening the stitches, we will sedate her again as soon as the two of you are done, she needs to rest and heal before she can be awake."

Oliver raked a hand through his hair, glancing sideways at Lois, his expression worried.

Lois swallowed and nodded, taking a deep breath, "lets not waste time, then."

He drew in a breath as well, falling silent as he followed Dr. Hamilton down the corridor alongside Lois, pausing just outside the curtained ICU area where Chloe lay in bed, hooked up to a lot of various machines and equipment.

"I'll give you some time," Emil told them quietly as he watched the two of them, "call me if you need anything."

But Lois wasn't listening, the second her eyes fell on her cousin, her eyes teared up and she didn't want to see her anymore, she wanted to run back to the waiting room and wait until her cousin was _really_ back because that small, fragile looking thing on the bed was nothing like Chloe.

Oliver hesitated, then reached out and gave Lois' hand a gentle squeeze. "She'll be okay."

It was a good thing Oliver took her hand because that helped her stop herself from running, she glanced at him then stilled when she saw Chloe turning her head slowly toward them.

He offered Lois a small, encouraging smile before letting go of her hand and hesitantly stepping into the room. "Hey you," he said softly, moving over to Chloe's side.

Chloe could tell someone was approaching her and talking to her but her eyes felt too heavy to open them, the voice though, she recognized, "--ie?" She mumbled tiredly.

"Yeah," he whispered, hesitantly reaching out and touching her cheek gently. "It's me." He glanced over his shoulder to look at Lois.

"And me," Lois added, stepping closer.

She tried to take a deep breath but ended up coughing slightly instead and frowing for a moment before finally managing to force her eyes open just slightly.

Lois winced when Chloe coughed, and she reached out, taking her cousin's hand in hers. "We're here," she whispered. "You just focus on getting better."

Chloe shifted her hand in Lois' slightly, trying to hold on to it, but her hands felt like they were made of stone, she turned to Oliver and opened her eyes a little bit more, "-s he...?"

It only took him a moment to realize what she was asking--if the killer was dead. "He's dead," he told her very softly.

She let her eyes close once more and sighed softly, visibly relaxing against her pillows as the hint of a smile appeared on her lips.

He swallowed hard, brushing his thumb lightly over her cheek. "Rest," he murmured, letting his hand drop away.

Pursing her lips slightly, she made an effort to open her eyes once more, this time a little wider and turned to look at her cousin, for the first time realizing she wasn't supposed to be there.

Lois smiled despite the tears in her eyes. "You should listen to him. Just...wake up sooner next time."

Chloe frowned a little at that, her eyes closing slightly, "ho-- long?"

"A few days," she murmured, gently brushing the hair back from her cousin's forehead.

Blinking heavily, Chloe sighed, "-ome."

"Gonna be awhile before that happens, Cuz."

Closing her eyes again, Chloe turned her head a little and opened her eyes slowly to look at Oliver.

He smiled faintly. "Everything's okay," he murmured.

She watched him for a long moment until her eyelids became too heavy and she closed her eyes again and sighed once more, this time, not relaxing, she wanted to leave.

Oliver leaned over and kissed her forehead without thinking about it, without considering that _Lois_ was still in the room.

Lois hadn't been paying much attention to Oliver, but when he leaned down and covered Chloe's face with his own and she thought he was actually going to kiss her for a second, she couldn't ignore it, she raised her eyebrows as he kissed Chloe's forehead and frowned curiously.

Chloe however, sighed once more and this time, did relax against the pillows.

"Rest," he whispered again, watching as she relaxed once more.

Lois watched in silence for a long moment, then saw as her cousin's breathing seemed to even, "guess she's asleep again," she whispered.

He drew in a breath, not taking his eyes off Chloe even as he nodded. "Yeah."

She fell silent and watched her cousin for a long moment before looking over at Oliver, "think she will really be okay?"

Oliver looked up at her after another moment, nodding slowly. "Yeah. I do."

"You better," Lois said quietly, looking back down at her cousin.

"She's strong," he murmured.

"I know," Lois whispered, "she doesn't look it right now, though."

He swallowed hard, looking down at Chloe again. She didn't look strong right then. She looked fragile. Like any sudden movement would break her in half. His chest tightened.

She watched her cousin for a long moment then sighed, keeping her eyes on Chloe, "what's going on between you two?"

He blinked a couple of times and looked at Lois. "Nothing."

"C'mon, Ollie, I'm not stupid," she told him, glancing at him before looking back at Chloe.

"Never thought you were," he said quietly. "But it's the truth. There's nothing going on between us. Chloe hasn't been in the city that long."

"But you know what she's doing, don't you?" Lois asked in a whisper, "the truth."

He shut his eyes. "Yes," he admitted.

"She won't tell me," Lois glanced at Oliver, "is that why this happened? Because of whatever she's involved with?"

"This happened because Slade Wilson had a score to settle with me," he said very quietly, not looking at her.

Lois turned her head to look at Oliver, "what?"

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "He was trying to get to Green Arrow," he whispered.

"How did he make the connection to my cousin?" She asked him, frowning a little.

"He was a smart guy." He paused, holding her gaze. "And he figured out that Chloe used to work for me."

"Work for you?" Lois echoed.

He tried to smile but didn't quite manage it. "Doing the saving people thing," he said quietly.

All she could do was raise her eyebrows, she stared at Oliver for a moment then sighed, "I knew it."

At that, he blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I knew Chloe was involved in something like that," Lois told him, "I mean, between you and Clark, it wasn't that hard to figure it out..."

Oliver paused. "He finally told you."

"Well, I kinda figured it out on my own," Lois told him, "how long has Chloe been working for you?"

He shook his head a little. "She hasn't worked for me in years," he said quietly.

"So she hasn't been helping you then who is she working for?" Lois asked with a frown.

Oliver paused. "I can't tell you that."

"Figures," Lois said with a sigh then looked back at Chloe.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I promised her I wouldn't say anything."

"Yeah, I get it," she told him, glancing at him, "at least she's told _someone_."

Oliver tried to smile but didn't quite manage it.

"I've been worried about her," Lois admitted, "I never see her anymore and when I do... she's not the same Chloe."

"I know," he said softly.

"It's not just me, then? Being overprotective cousin?"

"No, it's not."

Lois sighed and brushed her hand over Chloe's hair, "can't let this happen again."

Oliver was quiet for a moment. "I'll give you some time," he said softly, reluctantly stepping away from the bed.

"Thanks," Lois said quietly with a sigh, she didn't really want to be alone with Chloe because she was afraid she was going to do something to make her cousin's situation worse, but she didn't want to leave her either.

He nodded and exhaled slowly as he ducked his head and stepped out of the curtained ICU.

* * *

Two days later and running on less than five hours sleep in the last week, Oliver was slumped in a chair beside Chloe's bed. She'd been moved out of the ICU and into a private room, his head resting on the edge of her bed.

She stirred slightly on the bed and sighed deeply, she felt _horrible_ , like she'd been hit by a truck over and over again, her mouth felt dry, her body was heavy and the source of pain was definitely her stomach and chest area. Slowly, she opened her eyes, squinting at the light for a moment then looking down when she noticed something on her bed, a head, looked like it was Ollie's head, "Ollie?" she whispered hoarsely.

He jerked awake, sitting up quickly. His eyes widened when they met hers. "You're awake."

Chloe tried to swallow, her mouth still incredibly dry, she looked at him then looked around, seeing all the machines she was hooked up to, "how long was I out?"

"A few days," he whispered, rising to his feet and picking up the pitcher of water at her bedside. He poured a glass of water and carefully moved it toward her face.

She took it without hesitation, closing her eyes as she drank it slowly until the glass was empty, "thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he murmured, setting the glass down and brushing some hair out of her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was run over by a truck," she admitted, turning her head over the pillow so she was facing him, "what happened?"

He grimaced. "You got attacked," he said softly.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she nodded slightly as memories suddenly came back to her, "I remember that."

"You've been here since."

"Is everyone else okay?" She asked quietly, opening her eyes once more to look at him.

"Everyone's fine," he assured her.

Chloe nodded and watched him for a long moment, "did we catch him?"

Oliver paused. "I killed him." His voice was quiet.

Pursing her lips together, Chloe held her breath, "I'm sorry you had to."

"I'm not." He gazed at her, shaking his head a little. "I don't regret it."

She released her breath slowly and winced a little as it made her chest burn then watched him closely, "I'm glad it's over."

He nodded, watching her with worry. "I should let Emil know you're awake."

Chloe looked at him for a moment then shook her head, "how bad is it?"

"They moved you out of ICU, so that's a good sign," he said softly. "It's going to take awhile to heal."

She nodded a little, taking in the information for a moment, "does anyone know?"

Oliver hesitated at that. "Lois is here," he said softly. "Clark's been here a lot. And Emil called Bart, who called Vic and AC and Dinah." A small smile touched his lips. "Zatanna was even here for a little while."

Chloe blinked, her eyes widening a little at the information, "how... why?"

His eyes softened. "Because it's you, Chloe, and they all care about you," he whispered.

She watched him for a moment then looked down and nodded a little, "do you happen to have my phone? It was in my pocket..."

He frowned a little, moving to open the top drawer of the nightstand. He held it out to her silently.

"Thank you," she told him, taking a moment to move her hands with all the machines she was connected to, she took the phone and checked it for messages, quiet for a moment as she checked then nodding slightly to herself.

"Everything okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah..." she let her hand drop to her side but didn't let got of the phone, "they left town."

He bit his lip. "They uh...they wanted to be the ones to handle you getting treatment but..."

Chloe arched an eyebrow at that, watching him.

"I don't know them, Chloe," he said quietly.

She smiled a little at him and shook her head, "it's okay."

He nodded a little, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Can I get you anything? Some more water? I should really call Emil in here so he can check you over."

"Water would be good," she agreed, nodding a little.

He poured another glass of water for her and held it to her lips once more, swallowing hard.

Chloe closed her eyes as she drank it slower this time, lifting a hand to hold the glass too, her fingers brushing against his.

Oliver felt tears prickle at his eyelids and he blinked them back quickly, pushing away all thoughts about how close he came to losing her for good. "Better?" he whispered.

She opened her eyes to look at him then frowned a little at the look on his face, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's okay now."

Her face softened a little as she watched him, "you look exhausted."

"I'm all right," he told her, offering her a small smile.

Chloe nodded slightly, watching him still, "did you get any rest?"

"Enough," Oliver answered, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Why don't you call Emil for me and go home get some rest?" She suggested quietly.

His chest tightened a little, but he nodded, despite the fact he had no intentions of leaving for any length of time. "The others will want to see you, too. Are you up for that? Or do you want to wait?"

She paused at that and looked down then nodded slightly, "they've been worried, I can see them."

"Are you sure?" he asked softly, looking worried. "You resting and getting better is more important."

"Yeah," she said quietly, "I've been avoiding everyone long enough and... they are here."

Oliver reached down and gave Chloe's hand a gentle squeeze. "How about we just start with Lois?" he whispered.

She looked down at their hands and squeezed his hand a little, her stomach clenching as she did and she winced slightly then nodded, "okay."

"Lois is onto you. Not about specifics, but...she's in the know. About everything." He looked at her. "You probably knew that part though."

Pursing her lips together, Chloe nodded, turning her head to look up at him, "I know, so is Clark, but I didn't tell them, I didn't want to confirm their suspicions."

"I told everyone you were here because you needed a change of scenery," he murmured.

Chloe smiled softly at that, "I'm guessing no one believed you."

"Not so much. But that's all they're getting out of me," he told her quietly.

Her smile faltered and she squeezed his hand then nodded, "thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. I gave you my word," he whispered. "I'll take it to the grave."

"Like you don't already have enough secrets to keep," she said quietly, looking up a him.

"Works both ways," he said, meeting her eyes.

She watched him for a moment then nodded slightly, her chest tightening as she kept her eyes on his face, their conversation playing in her mind again, she could tell he hadn't slept much, if at all while she was in there and the fact that he _was_ at the hospital, by her bedside, holding her hand and worrying about her instead of being home with Connor and Mia and the fact that she _wanted_ him there, and only him, it told her that she was in trouble, that her decision had been made and she hadn't had the chance to even consider anything else because if she left now it would hurt both of them.

He could tell something wasn't quite right by the look on her face. "Chloe? You okay?" There was more than a hint of worry in his voice.

With a slow, deep breath, she nodded a little and turned to look at him, "yeah, I'm okay," she told him quietly, her eyes a little glassy.

The hint of tears did nothing to calm his worry. "I'm gonna call Emil," he murmured. "I'm sure he'll be able to give you something."

Her grip on his hand tightened a little and she nodded, she was sure that Emil wasn't going to be able to help her get over the panic and fear she was feeling at the thought of possibly letting someone close again, but she could tell Oliver was worried and possibly uncomfortable, so it was better to just agree with him.

Without thinking about it, he leaned over and kissed her forehead gently, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

As soon as as he looked away from her, Chloe let out the breath she'd been holding when he leaned in, swallowing hard, with protest from her chest and stomach, she pressed back against the pillows and the bed and turned her head to look away from him, toward the window. She wasn't sure how she was going to deal with seeing everyone again on top of this.


	19. Chapter 19

Emil made his way down the hall of Star City General Hospital and into the room of his fussiest patient: Chloe Sullivan. He wasn’t surprised to see her sitting up in bed, though he was surprised to see there wasn’t anyone with her. Oliver and Lois had been taking turns sitting with her so she rarely had a moment where she was completely alone. 

And he was going to use this opportunity to have a very serious chat with her. 

“Chloe,” he greeted her, closing the door behind him.

Chloe looked up from her phone when she saw Emil and smiled a little at him, she hadn’t been allowed her laptop, so the phone was going to have to do for now, “tell me you came to tell me I’m allowed to leave this place?”

He raised an eyebrow at that. “We can discuss it, but there will be terms,” he informed her without a hint of kidding.

The seriousness in his tone didn’t go unnoticed by her and her smile was replaced by a frown, “terms?”

“Terms,” he repeated with a nod, moving closer and then sitting down in the chair beside her bed. “You were injured very seriously, Chloe.” 

“It comes with the job, Emil, you know that,” she told him, turning her head to look at him.

He met her eyes. “If Oliver hadn’t applied pressure to the wound your stomach when he did, you would have bled out before you even made it to the hospital,” he said bluntly. “And you flatlined on the table. Twice.” 

Chloe paused at that, her eyes widening slightly at the information as she stilled, watching him silently.

“You died, Chloe. Twice. And frankly, it took so long to get you back the third time, the other doctor working on you was ready to give up,” he informed her.

She let out her breath and looked down, processing the information for a moment, she knew it had been a close call, she just had had no idea it’d been _that_ close. And suddenly the only thing she could think of was how her death would have affected the others, Oliver and Lois in particular. 

“Do they know?” She asked quietly.

He hesitated, then shook his head. “I wasn’t sure you were going to make it, but...I didn’t want them to lose hope,” he admitted quietly. 

“Thank you,” she said quietly, looking back at the doctor after a moment, “Ollie blames himself for enough as is.”

“The killer was trying to get to Green Arrow,” Emil said with a slight nod. 

“It was my choice to go out there as bait,” Chloe admitted, sighing softly, “I thought I could handle him until back-up arrived, but he was too fast.”

“Sometimes you have to have a little help,” he said softly, a small sad smile on his face.

At his words, her breath caught a little and she sighed, leaning back against her pillows for a moment, “managed without much of it for a while.”

“No man or woman is an island, no matter how hard they try to be.” He was quiet for a moment. “You and Oliver are both stubborn enough you had to learn it the hard way.” 

Chloe frowned a little at that and raised her head to look at him, “Oliver had to learn it the hard way?”

Emil paused. “You do know that Oliver was working entirely by himself until he finally agreed to let Mia patrol with him?” 

She frowned at that and shook her head, “he said he hadn’t been going out much, he wasn’t patrolling with Dinah?”

He shook his head. “No. Never.” 

“Why not?” She asked with a frown.

Emil was quiet for a moment. “I can’t say for sure, but my guess is he blamed himself for his part in Jimmy’s death, and didn’t want to risk getting involved in any working aspect with anyone else again.” 

“Oh,” Chloe whispered, looking down for a moment, “that makes sense.”

“And then of course, Mia came along,” he said softly. “And I think you know the rest from there.” 

“Some of it,” she agreed, nodded a little and smiling slightly, “Mia is good for him.”

Emil smiled back faintly. “And so are you,” he said pointedly.

Chloe paused and raised her eyebrows a little at that.

“A guy doesn’t spend an entire week and a half at the hospital without leaving more than once unless there’s a pretty good reason behind it,” he informed her.

This time, she stilled completely, staring at Emil for a long moment, “he hasn’t left? At all?” She whispered, watching him. She knew Ollie had been worried and he was there a lot, but she thought he had listened when she told him to go home and be with Mia and Connor. Her stomach knotted so tightly, she felt a little nauseous.

“He went home the day you woke up.” He paused. “For about an hour.” 

She sighed softly and closed her eyes for a moment, rubbing a hand over her face she leaned back against the pillows and shook her head slightly.

Emil watched her for a moment, then slowly rose to his feet. “So this is the part where you have a decision to make, Chloe.” 

If only he knew just how much truth there was in that sentence, “what are your terms?” She asked in a whisper, lifting her head and looking over at him.

“I won’t release you unless I’m confident you’ll be somewhere where someone else is around to help look after you while you recover. It’s going to be a long process and you’re not going to be able to do it on your own,” he told her seriously. 

Chloe took a deep breath and watched the doctor for a long moment, “how long will it take?”

He shook his head. “There’s no set amount of time for healing, Chloe. Weeks, at least.” 

“I need to talk to him,” Chloe said quietly, “I can’t just assume he will be okay with it, he has his own family to take care of.”

A smile tugged at Emil’s lips.

Chloe rolled her eyes a little, “did you already talk to him?”

“Didn’t even mention it.” He smirked.

“He offered?” She asked, frowning a little.

“No, but I have no doubt that he will.” His smirk widened just a little. 

“I’ll talk to him,” she made an effort to give the doctor a smile.

“You have no idea why I’m smiling do you?” 

“Honestly,” Chloe shook her head, watching him, “no.”

His smile widened a little more and he headed toward the door. “Chloe, I only said you were going to have to stay with someone else and let them help look after you for awhile.” He paused when he reached the door and turned to look at her, a knowing smile on his face. “I never said it had to be Oliver.” He winked at her and left the room.

She paused and blinked a couple of times, looking down at her lap as she processed what had just happened, she didn’t even consider going back to Metropolis and staying with Lois, or just going back to DC and updating Martha on everything that happened and asking her for help, or even getting the Agency to hire someone to help her. She had only seen one option for the situation, had only thought of one person who would take care of her. Better yet, who she would be willing to allow take care of her.

* * * 

Oliver had managed to squeak in about a two hour nap in one of the waiting room chairs. Despite everyone urging him to go home and get some real sleep for awhile, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Maybe it was selfish of him, he didn’t know. But Mia had assured him time and again that she and Connor were all right. Somehow she seemed to just know he needed to be nearby in case Chloe needed him. 

Or anything. 

He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he sat up, looking around and not spotting anyone--even Lois, who’d been his near constant companion over the last several days. Catching up with her had been nice. He hadn’t even realized he’d missed her. He rose to his feet and headed down the corridor, knocking very softly on Chloe’s door just in case she was asleep. Unlike most general rooms, they were keeping her door shut most of the time--not just because he was paying for a private room, but because they had all agreed it was best if her presence there was kept as low profile as possible, for safety reasons. 

She held her breath when she head the knock and stared at it, wondering who it was, wondering if it was him, “come in.”

Oliver opened the door slowly and stepped inside, offering her a soft smile. “Hey.” 

“Hi,” she said quietly, her heart skipping a beat.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, moving over to the side of her bed.

“Okay,” she told him quietly, keeping her eyes on his face.

“Good,” he whispered, relaxing a little. “You need anything? Water or...?” 

“I’m okay,” Chloe whispered quietly, still not looking away.

Oliver watched her for a moment, holding her gaze. “You’re uh--you’re getting some of your color back,” he told her with a small smile. 

“I don’t look like death anymore?” She asked, unable to stop herself and smiled a little.

He looked down, exhaling slowly. “You were just...incredibly pale,” he whispered.

Chloe sighed a little and nodded, but remained quiet this time, for a long moment anyway, “Emil said I can leave.”

Oliver’s eyebrows rose, and immediately his stomach tightened. “Already? Maybe I should talk to him. It hasn’t been that long.” He shook his head.

“There’s a catch,” she told him quietly, looking down and taking a deep breath.

He paused at that. “What catch?” 

“I’m supposed to be somewhere where someone can help me,” Chloe kept her eyes on her lap, she didn’t want to impose anything on him, even if he was, apparently, her only option.

Oliver watched her for a moment, then slowly sat down in the seat beside her bed. “Oh,” he whispered, growing silent and then drawing in a breath. “You know, Chloe, you’re welcome to stay with us,” he murmured, even though he was pretty sure she wouldn’t agree to it. 

She held her breath and stared down for a long moment, she knew he was going to offer, but it was nice to hear it anyway, “I don’t want to get in the way of anything,” she said sincerely, her eyes bright as they got slightly teary once she turned to look back at him.

He looked up at her, his chest tightening at the sight of her tears. “Oh, Chloe,” he whispered. “You won’t be.” 

Pursing her lips together she looked away again and took a deep breath, nodding slightly and rubbing a hand over her face, “if you are sure it won’t be a problem with you or Mia.”

“Mia likes you,” he told her softly. “Quite a bit. She’s been here a lot.” 

Chloe smiled slightly and nodded, glancing over at him, “thank you,” she whispered, holding his gaze, “for everything.”

“I haven’t done anything, Chloe,” he murmured, shaking his head. _Except almost get you killed._

“You saved my life, Ollie,” she said before she could stop herself, unable to forget what Emil had told her earlier, “and you stayed here with me all this time.”

He looked down for a moment. “If it hadn’t have been me, one of your team would have killed Slade,” he said softly. 

“They wouldn’t have stopped the bleeding,” she whispered, watching him closely, “it would have been too late.”

Oliver looked up at her, silent, uncertainty on his face.

She kept her eyes on him and nodded slowly, “thank you,” she said quietly, sincerely.

“I’d never been that scared before,” he admitted, meeting her eyes. 

Her stomach turned again and she hesitate before reaching over for his hand, she had wanted to, but she had to force herself to actually do it since all of her instincts told her to avoid contact, “I’m sorry.”

He took her hand without hesitation, closing his eyes and nodding. “It’s not your fault, Chloe.” 

“It’s not your fault either, Ollie.” She whispered, wrapping her fingers tightly around his hand.

Oliver pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, holding it there against his lips for a moment, then opening his eyes to look at her. 

She glanced at their hands then held his gaze again, brushing her thumb over the back of his hand, her heart beating fast.

“I’ll talk to Emil,” he said softly. “And make some arrangements. See when we can get you out of here.” 

“Thank you,” she repeated, “I can’t wait to get out of here.”

A small smile touched his lips. “You’re welcome.”

“I’m sure you feel the same way,” she told him quietly, raising her eyebrows slightly and giving him a toned down version of her knowing look.

Oliver grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “Nobody likes hospitals.” 

“And you’ve been here as long as I have, except I was knocked out for most of it,” she said, smiling softly, her hand still firm around his.

“Well, you weren’t getting the hospital coffee IV,” he explained with a smirk. “Otherwise you’d be on the ceiling.” 

“Coffee...” she sighed, her mouth watering instantly.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You don’t really want this kind. It’s kinda gross, Chloe.” He winked at her. “But don’t worry. We’ll get you the good stuff once you’re sprung.” 

She nodded a little, keeping her eyes on him, “thank you.”

Oliver met her gaze and nodded, as well. “Anytime,” he said softly.

If she could turn, she might have given into the urge to turn, lean closer, and kiss him. But she had tried that before and it made her chest and stomach both feel like they had been set on fire, so she didn’t move, just held his gaze and smiled slightly.

“Chloe?” His voice was quiet.

“Yeah?” She whispered, still watching him.

“I’m pretty sure this goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway.” He held her gaze. “I’m really glad you’re going to be all right.” He swallowed hard, squeezing her hand again. 

Her chest tightened again and she nodded slowly, “I know you are, Ollie,” she whispered softly, her stomach turning as she chose the best way to word things, “and.. I’ve made up my mind.”

At that, his chest tightened, too. “Oh?” 

“I...” she took a deep breath and adjusted against her pillows, looking away before looking at him again, “I’m scared and I know it won’t be easy, but I think if I just... _run_ , I will hurt the two of us just as much as if we try and it doesn’t work out.”

Oliver held his breath for a moment. “We can take things as slow as you want,” he whispered. “There’s no pressure.” 

Chloe nodded slowly, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to try and calm herself down, “I’m grateful for everything you’ve been doing for me,” she forced herself to go on and let him know the things she would normally fight to keep to herself, “but you mean a lot to me beyond that.”

He swallowed hard, nodding a little and squeezing her hand. “I know,” he whispered.

Turning her face, she opened her eyes to look at him again and watched him closely, “and even if things don’t work out, the last thing I want is for us to dislike each other.” She had gone through a hurtful, angry, painful break up with Jimmy, and from what she’d seen, Ollie hadn’t had much like with Dinah either. She didn’t want that for either of them.

“I don’t want that either,” he said quietly, thinking immediately of Dinah. “So why don’t we just...take things slow. And if we need to talk about anything or if one of us feels like something’s wrong or not working out...let’s just be honest with one another.” 

“I think that sounds like a plan,” she agreed quietly, lies and secrets had no place in a relationship if that was what this was going to end up being, if they could make it that far and if they couldn’t she could hopefully, in the very least, keep her new closest friend.


	20. Chapter 20

She had been wincing with every step she took during the short walk from the elevator to Oliver's guest bedroom but she had refused a wheelchair or anything else, so it was really her fault. She couldn't sit up or stand up straight or stretch the muscles in her stomach in any way, she wasn't really supposed to walk more than trips to the bathroom and short showers, but at least, she was done with the hospital.

Oliver had his arm tight around her, which was helping a lot support wise and she was incredibly relieved to be walking inside of the room, she had expected it to be nice, it was Oliver after all, but not as nice as it was. The bed was huge, there was a vase with tulips and so many pillows, she wasn't sure she was going to fit on the bed, "oh, this is really nice, Ollie," she whispered, a little breathless.

Oliver looked at her sideways, his eyes worried. "You're welcome," he murmured. "Come on, let's get you comfortable in bed."

She nodded a little and walked the last few steps to the bed then slowly moved to sit down on it, sighing deeply and wincing as she did.

"You'll be able to take more pain pills in an hour," he told her softly.

"It's just the walking," she assured him as she looked up at him, "I'll be okay now."

Oliver didn't look convinced, but he nodded, then picked up the remote off her nightstand and carefully sat down beside her. "This is cool. Watch." He nodded toward the wall directly across from the foot of her bed, and then hit the button that said 'TV.' The panels on the wall shifted aside to reveal a large, flat-screened TV.

Chloe raised her eyebrows and smiled softly as she leaned back against the pillows, "that is nice and definitely an incentive not to leave the bed."

"It gets better," he promised, grinning and pushing the button that said 'music.' The panels slid open further to reveal a stereo system. "You can shut the lights off with this, too." He handed it to her.

She raised her eyebrows and smiled, nodding as she took the remote and studied it, "this is pretty good, are all the rooms here like this?" Although she had stepped into the nursery and Ollie's rooms before, she hadn't paid attention.

"Not yet," he said with a nonchalant shrug.

Cocking her head, she turned to look at him again, "you didn't do this for me, did you?"

He paused and then grinned brightly.

"Ollie..." Chloe shook her head, looking at the TV then back at him, "you didn't have to."

"I know," he said quietly, still smiling.

"Thank you," she whispered, placing the remote over her lap then looking at him again, "but you really didn't have to."

He nodded a little, meeting her eyes. "It's something I've been wanting to do for awhile anyway."

"Redo the guest room?" She asked quietly, watching him closely.

Oliver smiled faintly. "Well, the electronic part."

She nodded slightly and sighed softly, "as long as it's something you already planned on."

He watched her for a moment. "You should rest," he said softly.

Chloe made a face, "I'm so tired of resting."

He ducked his head to hide a smile. "Yeah, I bet."

Turning her head, she watched him for a moment, "would you mind staying here for a while?"

"Not at all," he said, shaking his head. "You want anything to drink? Or eat?"

"I'm okay," she told him, shifting a little further down the bed to give him more space to be comfortable.

Oliver slipped his shoes off and put his legs up on the bed, reclining back against the pillows and looking at her.

She pursed her lips together and smiled softly at him, "comfortable? Do you need more room?"

"I'm good. How about you?"

"I'm good too," she told him quietly, relaxing against the pillows, "this is so much more comfortable than the hopsital."

"Well, I'd hope so," he said with a light chuckle. He'd made sure to find the softest mattress in the world--literally--and Bart had transported it for him.

Chloe cocked her head slightly and smiled a little, "why do I feel like there's a story behind this?"

"Well, isn't anything more comfortable than a hospital?" he teased.

"Uh huh," she teased back, "now I know I'm right."

He grinned. "Let's just say that while _you_ may have no interest in seeing the pyramids, your mattress has."

Her eyes widened a little at the information, "Oliver... you went way overboard on this."

He rolled his eyes at her. "One of the perks of being a billionaire. I'm allowed to be eccentric."

Chloe shook her head a little, "you don't _have_ to be, besides, I think the green leather fetish more than covers your eccentric quota."

"No, I don't _have_ to be," he agreed, turning on his side so he was facing her. A small smile touched his lips. "Been awhile since I heard that."

She smiled a little and shrugged a shoulder, "get used to it?"

"Gladly." He smiled softly.

Relaxing slightly, she kept her eyes on him and nodded slowly, "good."

Oliver was quiet for a moment. "How have things been with you and the others?" he asked softly.

"Better than I thought it would be," she admitted quietly, "It's okay with Bart, AC, Vic and Dinah," she admitted quietly, "Clark seems upset because he and Lois know I'm not telling them the whole story..."

He tensed a little. "Too bad. Clark isn't entitled to know everyone else's secrets when he keeps his fair share of them."

She couldn't help but smile a little, Oliver and Clark never really got along, "I know, but I think it doesn't help that Lois rants to him when she's worried and he wants to find out to reassure her."

He sighed softly, shifting a little closer to her without thinking about it. "Gotta say, I was kind of surprised to hear they were engaged."

"Why is that?" She asked him quietly.

"Honestly, I didn't figure Clark would ever pull his head from the sand and realize there were other women on the planet besides Lana Lang."

"Shocking, right?" She agreed, "he has been that way with Lois now, there are some things I don't agree with Clark on and he's hardly the perfect man, but he adores her, he would do anything for her and now that Lois knows the truth about him, I do think things will be good for them."

Oliver fell silent again for a moment, gazing at her.

"He loves her," she went on, smiling a little, "he makes her happy and as long as she's happy, it works for me." 

His chest tightened at her words and he nodded slightly. "She's loved him for a long time," he whispered.

Chloe paused at his words and the expression in his face, her stomach tightening, which made it hurt, so she winced a little but did her best not to show. She hadn't thought about this before, about how Lois, Ollie's ex, being enganged would affect him, but there was no denying that he looked upset about it, "does it bother you?" She asked, also in a whisper.

He blinked a couple of times. "Does what bother me?" he asked uncertainly, his eyebrows furrowing.

"That Lois is marrying Clark," she said quietly, not meeting his gaze this time.

Oh. _Oh._ He reached out and gently tucked his hand under her chin, lifting it just a little. "No."

She looked at him and pursed her lips together a little, "it's okay if it does, I know she meant a lot to you."

"Chloe." He gazed at her intently. "Lois and I are history. _Ancient_ history. I moved on a long time ago."

Chloe let out a breath and nodded softly, watching him in silence.

He rested his hand against her cheek, brushing his thumb over her skin lightly.

She leaned into his touch and held his gaze, her heart already beating faster as she leaned slightly closer, as much as she could without being in pain.

Oliver closed the small space between them so she didn't have to move anymore, and kissed her softly on the mouth.

Chloe returned the kiss just as softly, lifting a hand to cup his face too as she pulled him to her so she wouldn't hurt herself and ruin the moment.

After a few seconds, he leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

She took a deep breath but kept her eyes close, her chest tight and she couldn't deny the fact that this felt... _right_ , she liked being around him and being around him like this was even better than usual.

He opened his eyes to gaze at her silently, his fingers gently stroking her face and hair.

Chloe leaned into his touch and sighed softly, keeping her eyes closed for a moment longer before opening them and looking at him.

Oliver smiled faintly, searching her eyes.

She held his gaze and smiled a little too, brushing her thumb over his jaw, suddenly not feeling as nervous about this.

He shifted slightly, kissing her thumb and then looking at her once more, relaxing.

Relaxing too, Chloe couldn't help but smile a little, "this is definitely much nicer than the hospital." 

"I really agree," he whispered.

She kept her eyes on him, watching him for a moment before leaning in and kissing him softly once more.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, it dawned on him that this was what he'd been needing for years. And no matter how much he'd tried to fill that need with other things--alcohol, patrolling, even other women--nothing had ever worked and now he knew why. It was her. It had always been her.

Chloe broke the kiss after a moment and opened her eyes to look at him, "thank you for staying."

"I think you're stealing my lines," he said lightly.

She paused and smiled a little, nodding but shrugging slightly, "you know what I mean, Emil said you didn't leave the hospital."

Oliver smiled faintly. "I did actually. Once." He shrugged.

"For an hour," she said, arching an eyebrow.

His smile turned sheepish and he raised his eyebrows back at her. "I need to pay Emil more so he'll learn to keep his mouth shut."

Chloe had to stop herself from telling him just how good Emil was at keeping his mouth shut, she would tell Ollie eventually, but she felt like it was too soon, maybe when she was back on her feet. "I'm glad he told me."

"You are?" There was a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Of course," she told him quietly, smiling softly, "it means a lot to me, Ollie."

He was quiet for a moment, watching her. Then he kissed her tenderly on the corner of her mouth. "I just didn't want to be too far away if you needed anything." His voice was soft.

Her expression softened and she closed her eyes for a moment, "thank you," she whispered to him, "I expected Lo to stay there, she's my family," Chloe admitted quietly, "and you have your own to take care of, so I really am grateful that you would do that for me."

Oliver rested his forehead against hers. "You're part of my family, Chloe."

Chloe blinked and pulled her head back a little to look at him, shaking her head slightly, "I am?"

He gazed at her. "I've always considered you family. Even when..."

"When..?" She echoed, watching him closely.

"When I hadn't seen you in years," he finished quietly.

Her chest tightened a little and she shook her head slightly, "why?" She asked him in a whisper.

"I feel that way with all of them, but...it's different with you. It always has been," he murmured.

"How so?" Chloe kept her eyes on his face, watching him closely, she did believe Dinah now, not that she thought Ollie had always been in love with her, but she was starting to believe he might have had feelings for her before.

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "We're a lot alike," he said quietly. "Neither one of us saw things as black and white. I've just...always felt a connection to you," he admitted. He was quiet for a moment. "And not just as a friend."

Chloe let out a breath and looked down then looked back at him, "even back then?"

"Even back then," he said softly.

"Oh," she said quietly, watching him, "I... had no idea."

A small smile touched his lips. "I know."

"Why didn't you say something?" She asked quietly, cocking her head slightly.

"I didn't want to complicate your life, Chloe. You were engaged to Jimmy. You seemed happy," he said quietly. "I didn't want to be the one to wreck that."

"Oh... you mean, even before my wedding?" Chloe asked, her eyes widening a little.

He tried to smile but didn't quite manage it this time. He simply nodded, silent.

"Oh," she said again, taking a deep breath and looking down, "when you got hurt, when I got here, Dinah was here." If they were going to be completely honest with each other, they might as well start now.

His eyebrows furrowed at that. "She was?"  
"Mia called her, she didn't know who else to call when Connor ran out of formula," Chloe told him quietly.

"Oh," he murmured, nodding slightly and falling silent.

"She said something to me," Chloe whispered.

His chest tightened a little. "Chloe, whatever she said, she's...hurt. And I'm sorry."

"No," Chloe said quietly, "she told me you had feelings for me all along."

He paused at that, biting his lip. "Oh."

"I didn't believe her," Chloe admitted, "I thought she was just saying that because she was hurting."

Oliver drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "She wasn't just saying it," he murmured.

"I know that now," she told him quietly then sighted softly, "I just wanted you to tell me."

"Are you upset?" His voice was almost inaudible.

"No," she admitted quietly, watching him closely, "I just don't want to hurt anyone."

"I never meant to," he whispered, closing his eyes and sighing softly.

"I believe you," she told him quietly, "but in relationships, one side, or both sides always end up hurt."

He paused, opening his eyes once more to look at her. He lifted his hand to her cheek. "Maybe not always."

Pursing her lips together she leaned into his touch, her stomach suddenly knotting again, "we can't know if we don't try, right?" She said quietly, trying for a small smile.

Oliver brushed his nose lightly against hers, then kissed her softly. "The fact that you're willing to try with me of all people..." He shook his head a little.

"I don't think I had a choice in the matter," she admitted, kissing him softly once more and smiling nervously.

"You always have a choice with me," he told her seriously. "I'll never try to make you do anything you don't want to, Chloe."

"No," Chloe told him quietly, shaking her head, "I... never considered that you'd see me this way before, and when I started to-- it made sense," she admitted, "we understand each other so well, we get how the other thinks. You seem to get me better than anyone else."

He was quiet for a moment, watching her. "I'll screw up," he said softly. "But I'll always try to fix it."

"What makes you said that?" She asked, frowning a little.

"Which part?" he asked uncertainly.

"Why do you think you are going to screw up?" Chloe asked him, suddenly nervous because as much as she wanted this now, if he thought he was going to screw up the way he had with Dinah, Chloe knew she couldn't handle it.

"Because that's what I am, Chloe," he murmured, turning to lie on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"What... kind of screw up are we talking about here, Oliver?" She asked quietly, her eyes a little wide as she looked away so he wouldn't see the expression on her face.

He shook his head a little. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I'm sure I'll manage to screw up somehow."

Her jaw tightened slightly as she looked down at her lap, "what happened with you and Connor's mother, I couldn't deal with that."

"That won't happen again," he whispered, rubbing a hand over his face.

Chloe looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, "if you ever think it will, I want you to be honest with me, and I want you to--" she paused, her chest was so tight, she felt like her voice was going to crack, "I want you to let me go before it happens."

Oliver sat up on the bed and turned to look at her, his gaze intense. "Chloe, listen to me." His voice was quiet. "With Connor's mom--" He exhaled slowly. "I was never in love with Dinah. And then I met this woman one night and I thought..." He shook his head. "Honest to God, for a second I thought she was _you_."

She turned her head and held his gaze, her heart beating fast, "and that's why--?" She murmured.

"It's a terrible reason. I know. But it's the truth." This time it was his voice that was strained. "For a second I thought I'd found you again. But it was just an illusion."

Sighing deeply, she looked away and rubbed her hand over her face, "if-- if you wanted to see me so badly, why didn't you call me, Ollie? And why did you stay with Dinah?"

"I told her the next day," he whispered. "I told her everything."

"Why?" Chloe whispered, trying to understand better what had happened.

"Because she deserved the truth." He turned away from her, sitting on the edge of the bed and shutting his eyes.

"And why did she stay?" She asked him quietly.

Oliver shook his head a little. "I don't know," he admitted, raking a hand through his hair.

She hesitated then lifted a hand to his back, rubbing it gently, "I'm sorry I'm asking you this, I know it hurts you, but I'm trying to understand everything."

He shook his head. "You don't need to apologize. You deserve the truth."

"Thank you for telling me," Chloe said quietly, "I just know I couldn't handle something like that."

He rubbed his hands over his face. "I hate myself," he said, his voice dropping even more. "The things I've done. The people I've hurt. I'm not a good person, Chloe."

"Yes, you are," she told him quietly, wishing she could lean closer to him, "if you weren't, you wouldn't feel bad about it."

"If you say so," he murmured.

"Ollie, look at me."

He drew in a breath, his eyes red-rimmed as he turned to look at her silently.

Her stomach dropped at the look on his face and her own eyes suddenly got glassy too, lifting a hand to brush her thumb against his cheek, she swallowed, "if I didn't believe in you and in the fact that you _are_ a good person, I wouldn't have agreed to this. And I know talking about things like this hurts, but I don't think it's a secret that both of us have a lot that we need to work through if we want to try and make this work for us and for that, we have to talk it out and we have to make sure we understand each other."

Despite the tightness in his chest, a smile touched his lips. "Always been the smartest person I've known, Professor," he whispered.

Chloe shook her head a little and took a deep breath, wincing as she did and relaxing her stomach before speaking again, "I just want us to have a real chance at this, and I've made mistakes too, and I've screwed up too and I have things I need to work on too."

Worry clouded his eyes. "And we will," he told her quietly. "But I think it's time for you to take some painkillers and get some rest, Chloe."

She nodded a little and looked down then leaned against her pillows a little more, "yeah."

"I promise this isn't just a diversion to get out of talking about this kind of stuff." He gazed at her.

"We have time," she told him quietly then nodded slightly.

"Plenty of it," he assured her, reaching out and giving her hand a squeeze.

Chloe squeezed his hand back and looked down at their hands, letting out a breath.

"I'll get your medicine." Oliver reluctantly let go of her hand and rose to his feet, heading for the door.

"Thank you," she told him, closing her eyes and resting against the bed, they really did have a long way to go.


	21. Chapter 21

Oliver was stretched out on the bed beside Chloe as she finished making some work-related phone calls. Connor was sitting between them, currently utterly content to stare at the small cell phone in Chloe’s hand, and Oliver had a feeling that if she wasn’t careful, her phone would be his new favorite toy. He smiled a little at his son, watching him with warmth in his eyes.

“No, not yet,” Chloe spoke against the phone with a sigh, “he’ll remain in charge until I get back--” she paused rolling her eyes in annoyance as she rubbed a hand over her face, shaking her head a little, “that’s not my problem, you have your own team to lead, I’ve told you what I’m doing with mine.” 

She had been talking in circles for fifteen minutes now and she was ready to hang up, annoyed didn’t even begin to explain how she was feeling at the moment, frustrated was a good start, along with infuriated. That was the problem with government jobs, there was always someone trying to climb up the ladder. But even as the man on the other side repeated himself, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she turned her head a little to see Connor, lifting his little hand, with his chubby fingers as he tried to reach for her phone. 

No matter how irritated she’d been, seeing him, she couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on her lips, she reached with her free hand and took his hand in hers, melting a little when his eyes focused on her face and he gave her a mostly toothless grin.

Oliver couldn’t help but grin at her reaction, at the way her expression softened and she smiled back at his son. He winked at her, leaning over and kissing Connor’s temple lightly. 

Without thinking about it, she leaned in and kissed the back of Connor’s hand before looking away but still holding on to it, “no, that was my final answer, if you have a problem with it, I suggest you go to your superiors, I won’t change my mind.”

He raised his eyebrows at the conversation she was having. Her voice was firm and authoritative, something he could relate to as he did business at Queen Industries. 

Connor scooted closer to Chloe.

Chloe felt Connor’s other hand wrapping around her shirt as he tugged on it gently, trying to get her attention and that was enough for her, “like I said, that was my final answer, this conversation is over.” She said firmly, not waiting for an answer before hanging up.

Oliver grinned and ducked his head as she hung up her phone. “Sounded like somebody was being over-eager.” 

“He’s not my problem,” she told him seriously, her face softening again as she looked down at Connor, smiling softly as she helped him stand over the bed, “he’s from a different department within the organization.”

“And he wanted to go over someone else’s head?” he guessed. “Go straight to the head boss?” 

“It’s not really like that,” she admitted, cocking her head so Connor could hold on to her hair, he seemed to like it a lot. “there are basically two sides of it, black, which is the operations department and white, which is the intelligence department, this guy has been after my job since he got promoted to his, but he is a black agent.”

“But you do field work, too?” He gazed at her intently, smiling a bit as Connor bounced excitedly on the bed.

Chloe smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Connor’s nose, grinning softly as the little boy giggled and bounced more, then she turned to Oliver again, “our organization was severely downsized a couple years ago because of corruption, we’re still trying to recruit more, but we have to be careful and it takes time so my team had no choice but to take this one mission since the black team is incredibly busy, my agents are all field trained, we all are, but in theory, we shouldn’t have to.”

He considered that for a moment, propping himself up on one elbow as he watched Connor lean forward and rest his head against hers for a moment, then tangled his hand in her hair again. “So how does recruiting work?” 

She had to stop herself from picking the baby up and hugging him to her, she knew she wasn’t supposed to lift any weight at all, so she wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer instead, “through the FBI and CIA, usually our agents have at least ten years of experience with one of those agencies, since ours is a secret branch, we just can’t bring anyone in.”

Oliver watched her, a soft smile touching his lips. “How did you end up getting involved?” he asked curiously.

Chloe watched him for a moment then smiled a little, “Mrs. Kent.” She admitted quietly.

“Oh,” he murmured, nodding slightly. That made sense, and it was something he’d never even considered before. “How is Mrs. Kent?” 

“She’s good, she’s planning on retiring soon, we don’t talk as often anymore for safety reasons, but I know she’s okay,” Chloe told him, grinning as Connor kissed her wetly on the cheek, “thank you.”

He smiled brightly at her and kissed her cheek again and Oliver chuckled. “Definitely my son,” he said lightly.

She smiled and kissed Connor on the cheek too, rubbing her hand over his back, “he knows exactly how to get a woman’s attention.”

Oliver smiled. “He knows how to get _your_ attention.” 

“Please,” she told him, brushing her nose against Connor’s and smiling as he giggled loudly, “you get a lot more than my attention.”

“Well, yeah. He gets everyone else’s attention by screaming at the top of his lungs,” he said lightly.

“He’s a good boy,” Chloe said quietly, looking down at Connor again and watching him with a soft look on her face.

Oliver’s expression softened, as well. “Yeah, he is,” he agreed softly, looking at his son, who turned to look at him and smiled, flailing one small hand.

“I agree, Connor,” she said, helping the little boy turn to face his dad, “your dad is too far away.”

He chuckled again and shifted closer to both Connor and Chloe, kissing Connor’s hand and gazing at Chloe for a moment before leaning in and kissing her lips. “Better?” 

“Better,” she agreed quietly, smiling softly at him after returning the kiss.

Connor squealed and reached out, touching Chloe’s hair once more and then looking at his dad. 

Chloe laughed softly as Connor fell backwards against her to be able to grab her hair, she held him with both hands to steady him, “I don’t know if he was happy that you were kissing me, or if he was jealous.”

She had been at the penthouse for about a week now and in the meantime, she and Oliver had had a handful of serious conversations, but as they had them, things seemed to settle and instead of raising issues, the conversations seemed to be working positively, bringing them closer. Chloe was grateful that everything was going well, Connor really liked her and even Mia seemed to like having her around, they had been talking often and Chloe had even helped the teenager with college applications a couple of times. Things were definitely going well so far.

“Probably both,” he teased, tickling Connor’s foot lightly. “Not that I can blame him.” 

She pressed a kiss to the top of Connor’s head and wrapped an arm around his stomach, “there’s enough for both.”

“Oh good.” Oliver smiled as Connor leaned back against Chloe’s shoulder. He reached out and took Chloe’s free hand in his.

Chloe smiled softly at Ollie and linked her fingers with his, rubbing her hand over Connor’s stomach, she was quiet for a moment, “Ollie?”

“Hm?” He looked up and met her eyes.

“You don’t think his mom would ever try to... get him back, do you?” She asked quietly, it wasn’t something she had considered before, but it came to mind a couple of nights ago.

He was silent for a moment. It was something that plagued his mind on a regular basis. “No,” he said finally. “And considering the way she left him on my doorstep without even making sure I was here...” He bit his lip. 

Chloe’s eyes widened a little, “she didn’t even talk to you?” She asked with a frown.

“She left a note in his carrier with him.” His voice was quiet.

Letting out a breath, she shook her head, “I’m glad she left him here, clearly she doesn’t deserve him.”

Oliver kissed Connor’s hand lightly. “I’m glad she left him here, too.” 

“Well, that goes without saying,” Chloe told him quietly, smiling softly and squeezing Ollie’s hand.

He smiled back at her and gazed at his son. “I never really thought about it before.” 

“You kind of already had a kid, though, a grown one, but Mia still looks up to you like a parental figure,” Chloe pointed out quietly.

Oliver nodded a little, meeting her eyes once more. “I guess I’ve just always assumed I’d never have an actual family again. You know, not one that was all together.” 

“It makes sense,” she agreed quietly, “after I started to understand that my mom had left for good, when I was old enough I promised myself I’d never have kids, because I wouldn’t want to leave them like she left me.”

His eyes were sad and he gently brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm. “And then you found out why she left,” he murmured.

“Yeah,” Chloe smiled a little then shook her head, looking down at Connor, “I can’t imagine how hard it must have been on her.”

“Me either,” he admitted, also looking at Connor. 

“It’s kind of weird,” she mused quietly, her eyes still on the little boy who had settled against her, “he’s not even mine, but I already feel attached to him.”

A smile tugged at Oliver’s mouth. “He’s attached to you, too.” 

“Well, he thinks I’m her, Ollie,” she said quietly, smiling a little at him.

“I wish you were.” He paused. “Not that I want _you_ to be someone else. But...his mom. You know?” 

“Yeah,” she agreed, brushing her hand over Connor’s hair and smiling when he looked up at her with sleepy eyes. It was too soon for them to talk about things like that, but if things worked out between her and Ollie, she would be more than happy to fill that role.

“Someone’s falling asleep,” he murmured with a soft smile.

“He has been awake since Mia left for school this morning, I think it’s time for a nap,” she said softly, smiling at Ollie.

“I could use one myself,” he joked, kissing Connor’s forehead.

“Go ahead,” she told him, smiling, “I’ll be taking my meds in about twenty minutes, I’m sure it will knock me out as usual.”

He grinned at that, squeezing her hand. “We could just all nap together.” 

“Oh,” Chloe raised her eyebrows, nodding a little, “that sounds like a plan.”

Oliver kissed her softly, then sat up. “I’ll get you a glass of water for your pills and be right back.” 

“Thank you,” she told him quietly, smiling as he got up and walked out of the room. She pulled the covers back and, doing her best not to hurt herself, lifted Connor up and laid him down against the pillows before joining him, doing her best not to move the bed too much, “nap sounds nice, huh?” She murmured and smiled as he snuggled against her, her chest tightening a little, if Oliver hadn’t been enough of a reason for her to stay, this would definitely have changed her mind.

Connor smiled at her, cooing and reaching out, laying a hand on her cheek. 

Chloe took his hand and pressed her lips against his little palm before taking it and placing it over her hair, letting him tangle his fingers in it, she wasn’t sure why, but it seemed to be comforting for him, probably something he did with his mom.

His eyes drifted shut, a soft sigh escaping him as he snuggled a little closer and then stilled.

Oliver returned a moment later, pausing in the doorway at the sight. His chest tightened, then filled with warmth. 

His family.


	22. Chapter 22

Chloe had been more than a little relieved to get the green light from Emil a couple weeks later. The cuts had healed well and although she still had scars, Emil promised her that at least the one over her chest should fade over time. Lois had gone back to Metropolis for a few days now and as promised she'd called her to give her the good news. Although she still had to be careful with picking up anything heavy, he told her it was okay to pick Connor up as long as she was careful about it and he also mentioned it was okay for her to resume physical activities. Chloe had the feeling he said that specifically so she would know it was okay for her and Oliver to do more since Emil had found them napping on the same bed a couple weeks prior and had told her she wasn't allowed to do anything in bed except sleep and watch tv, and they both had gotten the clue loud and clear.

Once she hung up with her cousin, she walked over to the kitchen and started the coffee maker, now that she was off the meds, she could return to her coffee drinking habits too.

Mia was sitting in the kitchen, doing some homework at the table when she looked up and saw Chloe. "Hey, you're up." There was a hint of surprise in her voice, as well as some worry.

"I am," Chloe told her, smiling softly at the obvious worry in her voice, "and I'm allowed to be."

She relaxed a little. "That's good." She smiled back at her. "Are you making coffee?"

"Yeah, do you want some?" She asked, already getting two mugs out of the cupboard, she knew what Mia's answer would be since the two of them had raved about coffee before.

"Definitely," Mia said eagerly, standing up.

"I got it," Chloe assured her, "what are you working on?"

She made a face. "Calculus."

"Ugh," she made a face, "definitely need coffee."

"With lots of sugar," Mia added.

"Whipped cream?" She offered, raising her eyebrows, "I know Ollie said we had some."

"Pass, besides you might want that for later." She smirked.

"I only really like it in my coffee why would I--" Chloe paused her eyes widening a little as she understood what Mia meant, "Mia..."

The younger girl raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. "Just saying."

Chloe shook her head and smiled a little, "thanks for the advice, but I think I'll pass."

Mia was quiet for a moment. "But just on the advice, right?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, turning her back on the counter as the coffee brewed.

"Now that you're getting better, are you going to leave?" Her voice was uncertain.

"Oh," Chloe's expression softened and she shook her head, smiling a little at Mia, "that's not the plan, as long as you and Connor are okay with me staying too."

Mia relaxed. "I'm okay with it."

"Thank you," she said quietly, watching Mia, "I will have to go away for work every now and then, but I'm planning on moving my things here once I feel well enough to go pick everything up."  
She smiled at Chloe. "I'm sure Ollie will be happy to help out with that. And so would I."

"I would love the help, I don't have too much stuff, but that'd be an excuse to show you around DC, have you ever been?" She asked.

Mia shook her head. "No, what's it like?"

"Bigger, busier, colder, but they have a lot of things to do, they have some pretty cool museums." Chloe told her, turning around to pour the coffee into their mugs.

"Art museums?" she asked hopefully.

"They have a lot of those too, is that something you're interested in?" Chloe asked curiously, glancing at Mia over her shoulder as she prepared their coffee.

She shrugged a little. "I like looking at the stuff. Ollie took me to the one in San Diego," she told Chloe with a smile.

"Then you will love the ones in DC, there are so many different ones, we can try to spend a few days there so you have time to explore," Chloe suggested as she brought Mia her coffee, not bothering with the whipped cream on her own.

Mia smiled at that, taking her coffee and sipping it, nodding. "I'd like that."

"Have you always lived here in Star City?" Chloe asked her quietly, taking the chair across from hers and sighing in relief when it didn't hurt to sit down.

She hesitated, then shook her head. "No. I'm not even from this state."

"Where are you from?" She wanted to get to know Mia better and she figured asking the simple questions would be a good way to start.

Mia sat down once more, not quite looking at Chloe this time. "St. Louis."

"Oh, how old were you when you moved to California?" Chloe asked carefully, trying to ask around the more upsetting subjects.

"I didn't exactly...move here," she admitted.

Chloe paused, pursing her lips together and considering for a moment, "you don't have to answer anything you're not comfortable with," Chloe assured her, "how did you end up here?"

"I ran away," Mia said with a shrug.

"You didn't get along well with your parents?" She asked carefully.

"My mom ran out when I was a kid. I barely remember her." She shrugged and took a drink of coffee.

At that, Chloe paused, pursing her lips together, "my mom left when I was little too."

"She did?" Mia looked up at her.

"Yeah," Chloe admitted quietly, "and I understand why now, but it was really hard on me growing up."

"You've seen her since she left?"

"A few years ago," she said quietly, "when I found out the truth."

Mia was quiet for a moment. "What was the truth?"

"In short?" Chloe asked, not wanting to get into the whole meteor infection subject with Mia, "she was sick, and she left to protect me, she's been in a catatonic state since the last time I saw her, and she had been in that state for years before I did see her, she was only awake for a short period of time in between."

Mia stared at her in shock. "That's terrible," she whispered.

"It is," she agreed quietly then smiled a little at Mia, "but it helped me in the sense that I found out I wasn't the reason why she left."

She nodded a little, considering that. She pulled her legs up onto her chair, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Have you seen your mom since she left?" Chloe asked quietly.

"No," she answered, sipping her coffee.

"Did you ever consider trying to find her?" She offered.

"I'm not sure I'd want to," Mia told her, shrugging a little and looking down at the table.

Chloe took a deep breath and reached over, rubbing Mia's arm gently, "there is no reason to, right? You have another family now."

"I feel safe here," she said softly. "And I don't want to leave."

Frowning with worry, Chloe shook her head, "you don't have to go anywhere, Mia, regardless of what information you have."

Mia bit her lip, nodding a little, her dark hair falling across her face and hiding her expression. "Biological family is highly overrated."

"I agree," she said quietly, watching the teenager, "and no matter what happens, I know Ollie isn't letting anyone take you away, and I will help him if it comes to it."

A smile touched Mia's lips and she lifted her head to look at Chloe once more. "I know." 

At that moment, Oliver walked into the kitchen, Connor in his arms. The baby was smiling, one of his arms wrapped around Oliver's neck. "How are my two favorite girls?" Ollie asked with a grin.

"Caffeinated," Chloe answered, smiling at Mia for a moment then looking over at Oliver, unable to stop herself from smiling even more at the sight of the identical grins.

Connor immediately reached for Chloe. "Mama!" 

Oliver's eyes widened.

She stilled, staring at Connor with eyes even wider than Oliver's, not moving even though the little boy was suddenly holding his arms toward her.

Mia stared, too, looking from Chloe to Oliver to Connor and back again. 

Oliver decided it would be best to break the awkward silence with a little humor. "Aren't _all_ kids supposed to say _Dada_ first?"

But Chloe didn't really hear him, she glanced at him then back at the baby when he called 'mama' again and waved his arms, tilting forward toward Chloe, obviously wanting to be picked up by her, "I--" she started, but then realized she didn't know what to do let alone what to say. In one hand she was honored that Connor would see her as such, but in the other, she knew that mostly it was because she looked like his biological mother and he just didn't know any better.

Connor squirmed in Oliver's arms, whimpering a little as he reached for her. 

She hesitated and held Oliver's gaze for a moment before holding her arms out for Connor.

Oliver met her eyes and gently placed Connor in her arms, holding his breath.

Connor immediately snuggled against her, resting his head against her shoulder and tangling a hand in her hair.

Chloe swallowed hard as she wrapped her arms around him and held him to her, rubbing a hand over his back slowly, soothingly and closing her eyes for a long moment before looking up at Oliver again.

"Wow," Mia murmured, watching Chloe with Connor, "he really does think you're his mom, look at him."

Oliver couldn't help but smile at her faintly. "He loves you."

She nodded slightly and pressed a kiss to Connor's temple as he relaxed even more against her, "or he loves his mom."

Connor yawned and closed his eyes.

"He was only a couple months old when she dropped him off here," he said softly, glancing at Mia.

"I doubt he even remembers her anymore," Mia added, raising her eyebrows at Oliver.

Chloe pursed her lips together and sighed softly, looking down at Connor as well as she could. It was one thing to slowly work her way back into letting people in and close and letting people care, but this... this was much bigger and stronger and she had no control over it and yet, running wasn't even an option in this situation.

"It's a lot," Oliver said quietly, watching her for a long moment.

"Yeah," Chloe agreed in a whisper, glancing up at Ollie again, trying to grasp how he felt about it.

He hesitated a moment, then leaned down and kissed the top of her head wordlessly. 

She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, willing herself to relax. She and Oliver hadn't done more than kiss and his son was already calling her 'mama', that was hardly moving slow, but there wasn't much they could do.

"Who's hungry?" he asked, hoping to break the tension in the room as he looked from Chloe to Mia.

Mia smirked a little at Oliver and his obvious attempt at distracting Chloe then nodded, closing her calculus book, "starving."

Chloe opened her eyes again, adjusting Connor in her arms slightly and nodding, "I could eat," she told him quietly.

Oliver nodded and headed to the fridge. "Pancakes?" he suggested. "And bacon?"

"Only if it's chocolate chip," Mia told him, shoving her homework to the edge of the kitchen table to make room.

He grinned. "Wouldn't dare think of serving you anything else," he teased.

At that, Chloe couldn't help but smile a little, "are there any other kinds of pancakes?"

"The plain kind. Or the kind with strawberries and whipped cream." He smiled.

"Point for whipped cream," Mia teased immediately, then wiggle her eyebrows at Chloe.

Chloe's eyes widened a little and she shook her head, smirking at Mia silently then turning her attention to Connor once more.  
Oliver raised an eyebrow at the two of them, then shook his head a little, deciding it was probably better if he didn't ask. 

And Chloe took the opportunity to change the subject during the brief silence, "I don't know what you did with him, " she commented, looking at Connor then glancing at Ollie, "but he's completely out again."

He chuckled softly at that. "We went to the park for awhile," he admitted, glancing back at her with a sheepish grin.

"Ah," she said knowingly, "so picking up girls tires him out."

Mia raised her eyebrows at the joke and turned to look at Oliver, carefully reading him.

He smirked at her. "I think we've already found the only girl he's interested in," he responded.

"Hey!" Mia protested, glaring at Oliver, but relaxing that he hadn't taken offense in the joke that he was out picking up women, anything like that would have been World War III with Dinah.

Oliver flashed Mia a bright smile. "Okay, the _two_ ," he corrected, winking at her.

"Yeah you better," she warned him, arching a brow and giving him a look.

Chloe smiled a little and shook her head, "I should probably put him to bed."

"All right." He watched as she headed out of the kitchen and down the hall, a soft smile on his lips. He glanced at Mia and smiled a little more.

"Just go for it," Mia told him, rolling her eyes, "you're wanting to grin like a school girl since your kid called her mama."

He grinned and ducked his head, shrugging a little. "I wasn't expecting it," he said softly.

"Are you sure you weren't teaching him how to say it for the past... however long it was you were gone with him?" She asked, smirking.

He rolled his eyes. "No. I don't want to freak her out either," he told her, pouring some pancake batter onto the pan.

"If you say so," she teased and walked over to the fridge before picking up the bacon, "so you think she's gonna be okay with that?"

"I don't know." He glanced at her. "What do you think?"

"I don't know," she answered too, looking over her shoulder to make sure Chloe wasn't coming, "though I have the feeling that if she decides to, she's not gonna just abandon him when she gets bored."

"No. She wouldn't do that," he agreed softly, watching her for a moment. "And I won't either."

"I know you won't," she said, shrugging, "but you should ask her, to make sure."

Oliver smiled softly at her easy faith in him. It wasn't something he was used to. Maybe not even something he deserved. But he'd take it. "Yeah. I will."

"And let me know," she told him seriously, she liked Chloe, she seemed nice, but her answer about Connor would be the defining factor.

"Always." He was quiet for a moment. "And because I don't say it enough...thank _you_."

Mia paused and frowned at that, "for what?"

"For sticking with me," he said seriously, turning to look at her. "I know all that stuff that happened with Dinah was..." He blew out a breath. "I'm sorry you got dragged through it but...it means a lot to me that you're still here."

She shrugged a shoulder and shook her head, "you don't have to thank me, you're the one who saved me from... all that shit." 

Oliver slid his arms around her in a hug. "You mean the world me, Kiddo. Afraid you're stuck with me."

"Yeah, back at you," she told him, returning the hug.

He smiled and kissed her forehead before releasing her and flipping the pancakes.

She rolled her eyes and smiled a little before returning to the fridge to get the rest of the stuff, _this_ was what a family was supposed to be like.


	23. Chapter 23

Oliver made his way down the hall and to the living room as he heard the front door close. “Did Mia go out?” he asked, frowning a little as he glanced at Chloe, who was sitting on the sofa.

“Yeah,” Chloe told him, looking up from her laptop and smiling softly, “she said she was going to take Connor to the zoo, something about bonding time,” she told him, although Chloe wasn’t sure if Mia meant bonding time between her and Connor or between Chloe and Oliver because Chloe had the feeling the zoo was just an excuse to leave them alone.

“Oh.” He raised his eyebrows, a little surprised. She almost always made sure he knew where she was going before she left, but he was glad she felt comfortable enough with Chloe to let her know. “Working?” he asked softly.

“Just checking my emails,” Chloe told him, smiling softly. “I’ll have to go up to DC soon.”

He nodded a little, watching her. “How soon?”

“Probably next week, Emil already okayed me to move around, so I’m sure meetings won’t be an issue,” she told him, closing her laptop and placing it over the coffee table.

Oliver was silent for a moment. “You wanna use the jet?” he offered.

Chloe smiled a little and shook her head, “it’s okay, we have our own,” she told him, “but thank you.”

“Oh.” He nodded. “Sure.”

She paused for a moment, watching him, “maybe the three of you could come with me.”

He raised his eyebrows, blinking a couple of times. “Really?”

“Mia and I were talking earlier, she seemed really interested when I mentioned all the museums and if we all went, it’d be safer to take your plane, but you can go sightseeing with her while I get everything done,” she suggested, her heart beating fast as she watched him.

Oliver paused for a moment, then smiled at her. “Yeah. That sounds like fun.”

Chloe relaxed a little at his answer and nodded, leaning back against the couch. She felt like it was about time for her to show him that she wanted to welcome them into her life as much as they had been welcoming her into theirs.

He was quiet as he moved to sit down beside her on the sofa. “How uh--how long are you planning to stay in D.C.?” he asked uncertainly, his heart beating quicker in his chest. It dawned on him that the two of them hadn’t discussed how they would manage a long distance relationship. Sure, they both had the ability to fly across the country whenever they wanted, but the reality was, now with Mia and Connor, he was more tied to Star City than he’d ever been.

“I don’t know,” Chloe admitted, “since I’ve been out for so long, I’m not sure how things will be when I get there, probably a week, but maybe two.” She said quietly.

Oliver relaxed a little. “Oh, okay.” He nodded and offered her a smile.

“I can’t go on missions or anything yet, so it shouldn’t be too bad and I can do most of my work from here once I have all the material that is back in my apartment,” she told him quietly, they hadn’t really talked about living situations once she got better either and although she could easily rent a place close by, she would miss being around the three of them.

“Yeah?” he asked hopefully, watching her carefully.

She shifted on the couch and nodded a little, taking a deep breath and sitting up again, “which, I guess it means we should talk about... living arrangements.”

Oliver gazed at her. “You’re welcome to move in here,” he said quietly. “If you’re comfortable with it. If not, I understand. I know it’s soon.”

Pursing her lips together, Chloe nodded slowly and looked down, “it is soon,” she agreed, “but I... like being here.”

He smiled at that. “We love having you here,” he said softly.

She took a deep breath and nodded slowly, smiling nervously at him, “thank you.”

He hesitated a moment, then reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, gently brushing his thumb over her skin. “You’re welcome.”

Chloe lifted a hand to cover his and slid her fingers through his, squeezing his hand softly and holding his gaze.

Oliver smiled softly at her, leaning in and kissing her, his nose brushing against hers.

She returned the kiss and almost instantly, relaxed as she shifter closer to him.

He shifted closer to her, as well, slowly deepening the kiss. His heart began to beat rapidly as they moved closer together, his other hand moving up to thread in her hair.

A moment later, Chloe pulled her hand from his and wrapped her arms around his neck, cupping his neck as she added pressure to the kiss.

A soft groan escaped him and he let his hands drop to her hips as he returned the pressure without hesitation.

The groan took her by surprise and she broke the kiss then looked up at him with wide, dark eyes.

Oliver drew in a shuddering breath, looking back at her with equally dark eyes. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.

She smiled a little and shook her head, "who said anything about wrong?" She asked, a smirk appearing on her lips as she sat up and shifted closer.

He relaxed at that, then smirked back at her, sliding his hand around to the small of her back. "Good to know I was, apparently."

Chloe grinned softly and looked at him for a moment then held her breath and his gaze before getting on her knees and moving to sit on his lap.

He sucked in a breath, leaning back against the sofa and watching her intently. Then he gently tugged her closer to him, keeping his arm around her tightly so she didn't lose her balance and fall backwards.

She leaned closer and smiled at him cupping his face in both hands before kissing him deeply.

Oliver responded to the kiss without hesitation, his other arm sliding around her as well. He pulled her against him, careful not to put too much pressure on her injury.

Even as she kissed him, one of her hands slid into his hair and moved her other hand down over his shoulder, chest, then his side.

His body was already responding to her nearness, to her touches and the kiss and if she moved any closer, she was going to realize just how effected by her he really was. He rubbed a hand over her back, then slid it up to her face once more, brushing his nose over hers and then breaking the kiss to place his mouth against her jaw. He kissed her there lightly, then trailed his lips down to her neck.

Chloe shivered the second his lips met her skin, closing her eyes, she slid her hand down and tugged on the hem of his shirt for a second before sliding her hand under it and pressing it against his warm skin.

Oliver swallowed hard, shuddering involuntarily at the feel of her hand against his bare skin. He pulled away to look at her again, gazing at her intently.

She opened her eyes when he pulled away and looked down at him, taking a deep breath and returning his gaze with the same intensity.

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered.

Smiling a little at that, her face softened and she cupped his cheek, "Emil said 'physical activities' were okay," she told him, cocking her head a little.

A smile tugged at his lips. "Well, that's good news," he murmured, leaning in and kissing her again.

Chloe returned the kiss and slid her hand further up against his side, rubbing her fingertips against his skin.

Oliver shifted slightly and without warning, scooped her into his arms and rose to his feet. If they were going to do this, they were going to do it right. And right wasn't on a sofa in the middle of the living room.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at him, her eyes a little wide.

He flashed her a grin and kissed the corner of her mouth before turning and carrying her down the hallway.

She grinned and cocked her head, kissing his cheek then moving her mouth over to his neck, hesitating for just a second before running her tongue over his pulse point. She hadn't been with anyone since Jimmy, in fact, she had never been with anyone other than Jimmy. She hadn't allowed herself to focus on anything like this before, but instead of being nervous, she was anxious, eager to get that aspect of her life back too.

His grip on her tightened just a little at her actions and he moved into the master bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. He shifted slightly, locking it for good measure and then carrying her over to the bed.

"Hopefully they will still be a while," Chloe breathed as he laid her down on the bed, her arms still around his neck as she adjusted over the mattress.

"Just left a few minutes ago," he murmured, resting his arms on either side of her and lowering his head to kiss her again. "Zoo's all the way across town."

"Good," she murmured against his lips before sliding her hands down his back and pulling him close.

Oliver smiled at that, kissing her tenderly and resting his forehead against hers.

She took a deep breath and held his gaze once they broke the kiss, lifting a hand to cup his cheek.

Oliver gazed at her intently, leaning into her touch and then turning his head to kiss the palm of her hand. Then slowly, he sat up and began to undo the buttons on her shirt.

Chloe held her breath and glanced down at his hands, then stilled. She hadn't been nervous up until that point, but then she remembered her brand new scars, the one that crossed over the top of one of her breasts down to between them, that Dr. Hamilton assured her would fade with time, but for the time being it was still bright red, and the smaller one that was a little lower, in the middle of her stomach that was a much darker shade of red.

He felt her still beneath him, but he continued what he was doing and then gently parted the folds of her shirt, gazing down at her, breath hitching in his throat. "You are beautiful," he whispered, looking up to meet her eyes again.

She let her breath out slowly and looked up at him, searching his eyes for a moment as she felt her cheeks getting warm.

He smiled at her, then ducked his head and pressed a feather-light kiss against her stomach. "You've always been beautiful," he murmured, kissing her there again.

That helped her relax a little and she shivered, taking a deep breath and watching him in silence.

Oliver felt her relax and slowly trailed kisses up her stomach to the slowly fading scar across her breasts. He kissed her there, closing his eyes, then opening them once more and lifting his head to look at her.

Chloe breathed out and closed her eyes for a second then opened her eyes again to look at him, swallowing hard and looking at him, "before we go any further," she murmured, "I'm not on anything."

He nodded slightly, watching her. "I have protection," he said softly.

She nodded and smiled a little, "okay, good," she smirked a little then lifted her head and kissed him deeply.

Oliver grinned at her reaction, kissing her back just as deeply. Without warning, he slid his arms beneath her and turned them so she was on top of him.

Chloe gasped then grinned softly, looking down at him then sitting up and tugging on his shirt, pulling it higher.

He smirked up at her. "Got me where you want me?" he teased.

"We're getting there," she told him, lifting his shirt higher.

He raised his eyebrows, watching her. "I should hope so."

"Lift," she told him as she tried to tug the shirt over his head.

Oliver chuckled softly, sitting up a little. "Yes, Ma'am," he said lightly, letting her pull his shirt off.

"One step closer," Chloe told him before lowering her head and pressing her lips to his chest.

He groaned softly, threading his hand in her hair as he felt an almost electric sensation go through him.

She took that as encouragement and lowered her head, scraping her teeth over his stomach then running her tongue over the spot.

Hissing, he squeezed his eyes shut, shuddering beneath her.

Smirking, she glanced up at him then repeated the action, this time, above one of his nipples.

"Christ, Chloe," he muttered, gritting his teeth.

Chloe grinned slowly and looked up, it was good to know that after all this time and even though he was Oliver Queen and her experience was limited, she could get a reaction out of him. She lowered her head and bit down gently on his stomach, her hands traveling down his sides.

Oliver reached down, sliding his hands in her hair and then down her back, closing his eyes as he tried to control his breathing.

She took a deep breath and reached down for his pants, undoing the button then the zipper slowly as she ran her tongue down his stomach.

His breath hitched again, his fingers tightening a little on her sides. "Why do I have a feeling I'm going to be naked before you are?"

"Because I'm getting you where I want you to be," Chloe told him, smirking slowly as she pushed his pants and boxers down.

Oliver opened his eyes again and grinned down at her. "All right then."

Chloe got up and pushed his pants down and off, keeping her eyes on his face for a moment then looking over his body and taking a deep breath as she slid her hands up his thighs and placed her body on top of his again.

He watched her intently. "You're over-dressed," he murmured.

"Are you going to do something about that?" She asked as she placed her elbows on either side of his head and lowered her head so it was inches above his, their noses almost touching as she opened her knees wider on either side of him so her jean-clad hips were brushing against his naked body.

He groaned, arching up to kiss her. "Most definitely," he informed her, sliding his hands down her body to the button on her jeans, undoing them quickly.

She lowered her head more but arched her hips to give him better access as she kissed him hungrily.

It was a good thing he was an expert multi-tasker. He kissed her back urgently even as he slid her jeans and underwear off her hips and down her legs. Then he cupped her ass in his hands, pulling her against him.

Chloe helped by kicking her clothes down the rest of the way until she was as naked as he was, and groaned against his mouth as she felt her entire body pressing against his.

Oliver slid his hands up her bare back, sitting up a little and pressing a kiss against her jaw, one hand tangling in her hair.

She turned her head towards his and nibbled on his own jaw as she brushed her hips against his slowly, shivering at the contact.

He shuddered, as well, then moved his hands to rest on her hips, pulling back so he could look at her. He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Exquisite," he murmured, lowering his head and kissing her collarbone.

"Hm," Chloe murmured, closing her eyes again at the feel of his lips against her skin, she lowered her hand over his chest, then his stomach and ran her nails over his skin slowly.

Supporting her with his arms around her back, he dipped her backwards a little, catching a nipple in his mouth and suckling gently.

She moaned, closing her eyes, her back arching as she lifted a hand to cup the back of his head, pulling him to her.

He smiled at her response, switching breasts and paying the other the same attention. "Gorgeous," he murmured.

As much as she was enjoying the attention, it just wasn't enough for her. With a deep breath, she shifted and pressed her hips firmly against his, "more."

"So demanding," he teased, sliding his hand down her body and cupping her gently. "Better?"

Chloe groaned, closing her eyes and breathing out slowly, her hips bucking against his hand instantly.

Oliver grinned at her reaction, laying her back on the bed gently and sliding his fingers lightly over her clit, back and forth, slow languid motions as he watched her face.

"Oh," she moaned, her body relaxing against the bed for just a second before arching towards his as she wrapped both her legs and arms around him and forced herself to open her eyes.

Keeping his eyes on hers, he eased a finger inside her, groaning softly at how tight she was. Somehow he had a feeling it had been a very long time since she'd been in this kind of situation.

His touch alone brought her so much closer, she thrust her hips against his hand faster, "Ollie," she moaned, holding on to his shoulders as she tried to get him closer.

Oliver dipped his head to capture her lips as he gently eased another finger into her, his thumb still rubbing her lightly.

Chloe moaned against his lips at the added pressure, she wrapped her legs tighter around him as she returned the kiss as well as she could even as her body started to tremble slightly in anticipation as her muscles clung hard to his fingers.

He rested his forehead against hers, gently stroking her. "Let go," he murmured. "It's okay."

She kept her eyes closed and focused on everything he was making her feel, his fingers enticing her and his words helping her relax, it took only a couple more thrusts and she moaned his name loudly, shuddering hard as her muscles clung to his fingers as her orgasm hit her.

"Wow," he whispered, his fingers still moving within her gently, helping her ride out the waves of pleasure.

Her head fell back against the bed as she tried to catch her breath, opening her eyes slowly, she looked up at him.

Oliver smiled at her, holding her gaze. "Beautiful," he said again.

She smiled softly and lifted a hand to cup his face, feeling her heart pounding against her chest as she held his gaze.

He leaned into her touch, lowering his head to kiss her lightly, his own heart beginning to beat more quickly.

Chloe kissed him breathlessly, but as deeply as she could as she lifted her other hand around his back, pulling him closer to her.

"Wait," he murmured, kissing her back for a moment, then pulling away. He reached for the night stand and opened the drawer, plucking a condom from inside.

She took a deep breath and nodded when she saw what he was doing, "Connor doesn't need siblings," she murmured, smirking softly.

"Well, he already has one," Oliver said with a small smile. "And I'm sure he wouldn't mind more, but...not right away."

Chloe shook her head a little and sat up, taking the condom from him before opening the package, she was definitely not going to have that particular conversation right then.

He grinned a little involuntarily, watching her and groaning as she slid the condom over him.

She looked down, paying attention to the task at hand for a moment then looked up at him, smirking as she leaned in and sucked hard on the skin over his pulse point.

"Tease," he grumbled, tugging her closer to him once more.

With a deep breath, she pulled back and looked up at him, brushing her hips against him and smiled, "what?"

He smiled back at her, settling his hands on her hips and pulling them up into a sitting position, with her straddling his legs.

She locked her legs around him and took a deep breath, holding his gaze for a second longer then taking him in her hand and guiding him into her.

Oliver watched her intently, his fingers tightening just a little on her hips as he slid into her slowly. "You okay?" he asked softly, not wanting to hurt her.

Chloe closed her eyes tightly and nodded, letting her breath out slowly as she forced her body to relax, "yeah," she whispered then opened her eyes, "been a while," she admitted quietly.

He nodded slightly, remaining still and giving her time to adjust as he slowly slid his hands up and down her back, caressing her skin. He leaned in and kissed her jaw softly, closing his eyes.

A moment later, she started moving her hips slowly against his, turning her head and pressing her lips against the corner of his mouth. It still hurt, but it was a pain she could deal with.

He turned his head and captured her lips in a tender kiss as he slowly withdrew from her and then slid in again, dipping his hand between them and stroking her once more in an attempt to get her to relax more.

It worked and she relaxed more, shifting her hips and moaning quietly into his mouth as he slid deeper inside her.

Oliver kept his other arm wrapped around her, moving slowly within her, resting his forehead against hers as he took his time, savoring a moment that up until recently he'd only dreamt about.

Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck and held his gaze, moving slowly with him and breathing heavily.

He smiled softly at her, pulling her a little closer to him, their chests pressed together intimately. The urge to speed up was almost overwhelming, but he did his best to resist it.

She could feel him starting to tremble and she could feel the sweat gathering over his chest, he was holding back so Chloe smiled and shook her head, cupping the back of his neck as she pulled her hips back, pulling him out of her almost all the way and whispered, "don't hold back."

"I don't want to hurt you, Chloe," he whispered, threading his hand into her hair.

"You won't," she whispered back, holding his gaze as she took a deep breath then slammed her hips against his, groaning and closing her eyes as he slid in all the way, deeper than before.

"God," he uttered, dropping his head against her shoulder for a moment, then shifting and laying her down beneath him, his arms cradling her head as he thrust into her again, faster this time, gazing down into her eyes intently.

Chloe held his gaze and moved her legs higher up against his back as they started moving faster together, moans and groans escaping her lips with every thrust. She hadn't felt this alive, this _connected_ to someone in years, and not just because of what they were doing, but because of the intensity and the emotions they were also sharing.

Oliver groaned softly as the new position allowed him to move within her more deeply. He buried his face against her collarbone, murmuring her name over and over, softly, with emotion and desire and awe mixed all together.

She moved her arms up around his back and held on to his shoulders, moving with him as she turned her head and pressed her lips to his temple, moaning his name as she got closer.

Oliver lifted his head once more, gazing down at her intently, his eyes much darker than usual. "I love you," he informed her, thrusting into her again.

Her heart skipped a beat as she held his gaze, swallowing hard, she tried to pull him even closer, "I love you," she told him back as her heart sped up even more, she had thought the words before, had to stop herself from telling him she felt that way, but now that it was out there, the connection she thought she was feeling with him before only grew stronger, she felt completely open to him, open in a way she hadn't been for as long as she could remember, but she didn't feel scared or exposed, which made all the difference.

He leaned down and kissed her softly, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as they made love. He'd said the words in his head a hundred times, maybe more. He'd never expected to hear them echoed back to him when he actually said them..

She kissed him back and although their bodies were slamming against each other and it felt amazing now that it wasn't hurting anymore, it was the intensity of their words and everything she was _feeling_ that was really getting to her. It felt like he had just taken down the last wall she'd been hiding behind and now she was almost overwhelmed by how real this felt, how real _he_ felt and she was doing her best to show him through their kiss just how grateful she felt for his patience and his time and effort and for caring enough to want to work through all her fears and reservations to make her _feel_ again.

Oliver slowed down his movements, resting his forehead against hers and sliding his hand between them, gently stroking her once more.

At his touch, she focused her attention back on what they were doing and she suddenly realized how close she was, with a deep breath, she opened her eyes and looked at him, moaning his name breathlessly as her back arched and her muscles clung to him.

He watched her, thrusting into her once more as his own release hit and he shuddered, dropping his head down against her shoulder.

Chloe held on to him tightly, shuddering as he joined her then turning her head and pressing her nose against the side of his head as they both tried to catch their breath.

He swallowed hard, shutting his eyes and rolling them so she was on top of him and he didn't crush her.

She didn't let go of him even as he moved them, just laid on top of him, pressing her lips to his jaw tenderly as she snugged close to him.

Oliver gently stroked his hand down her bare back, kissing the top of her head. "That was incredible," he whispered.

Smiling softly, she nodded and brushed her nose against his neck, "it was," she whispered then took a deep breath, "thank you."

He smiled, resting his head against the pillow and letting his hand come to rest between her shoulder blades. "Thank _you_."

"No, Ollie," she raised her head and looked him in the eye, "thank you," Chloe paused, smiling softly, "for making me feel alive again."

He gazed back at her intently. "I knew what you meant," he murmured, gently tucking some hair behind her ear. "I meant the same thing."

Her chest tightened a little and she smiled more, leaning into his touch. Of course he knew what she meant, she shouldn't have thought otherwise. He always knew. She turned her head a little more and pressed a kiss to his wrist, keeping her eyes on him.

"How did I get this lucky?" he whispered, wondering how he'd managed to outrun his bad karma.

"I'm wondering the same thing," she told him in a whisper too, her expression softening as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Oliver kissed her back without hesitation, one hand cupping her cheek gently.

Bliss.


	24. Chapter 24

  
  


Chloe laughed softly and shook her head as Connor tried to feed her his baby cereal, "no, Con, you're the one supposed to be eating all of it," she told him, kissing his temple then picking up his plastic spoon and spoon feeding the cereal to him, grinning as he ate it proudly, "there you go, good boy."

She paused when there was a knock on the door and frowned, Oliver had gone over to Queen Industries and Mia was at school, she wasn't expecting anyone over so she frowned hard, looking at Connor for a moment and pulling the cereal bowl away from him so he won't make a mess of his high chair, "shh," she told him in a whisper, "we need to be quiet," she told him before slowly and silently making her way to the front door.

The knock came again, a little louder this time.

Frowning hard, Chloe's jaw tightened and she checked on the camera intercom that was by the door, taking a deep breath when she saw who was on the other side and shaking her head a little before unlocking all the locks on the door slowly.

"Come on," Lois whined, her arms full of bags. "I have to pee!"

Chloe shook her head a little at her cousin again as she unlocked the last lock, "how did you even know I'd be here?" She asked as her eyes fell on her cousin.

She flashed her a grin, quickly making her way inside and setting her stuff down. "A green bird told me."

"What is all this?" Chloe asked, but before Lois could answer, Connor's voice came from the kitchen, "mama!"

Lois froze, staring at Chloe with wide-eyes.

"Yeah..." she said quietly, looking at Lois and smiling awkwardly, "he thinks--" but Connor called for her again, "I better go check on him, bathroom is over there," Chloe pointed toward it before disappearing into the kitchen.

She watched her cousin head away, staring after her for a long moment, then heading into the bathroom.

"Mama!" Connor called again as soon as Chloe walked in, kicking his little feet and raising his arms up to be picked up.

Chloe's face softened and she smiled a little, reaching down to pick him up, "sorry, kid. Should probably have brought you with me, huh?"

He wrapped his arms around her neck, resting his head against her shoulder.

Lois watched from the doorway for a long moment. "Wow," she murmured.

Chloe looked up when her cousin spoke and smiled a little, nodding, "I know."

"I knew there was more to you being here in Star City than just work." Lois raised her eyebrows.

"Well," she glanced down at Connor and shrugged a little, rubbing her hand over the little boy's back then looking back at Lois, "there is now."'

"I can see that." She walked into the kitchen, smiling involuntarily at the little blond in Chloe's arms. "He looks just like his dad."

"He does, doesn't he?" Chloe said quietly, smiling as Connor lifted his hand to glance at Lois, "say hi to aunt Lois, Connor."

He peeked at her and grinned shyly before burying his face in Chloe's neck once more.

Lois couldn't help but chuckle, glancing sideways at Chloe. "You seem happy."

Chloe pressed a kiss to Connor's head then looked at Lois once more and smiled, nodding slightly, "the past few weeks were... life changing."

She narrowed her eyes a little, studying her cousin for a long moment. "How life changing?" she asked curiously.

"I'm staying," Chloe admitted quietly, watching her cousin closely for her reaction.

A smile tugged at her lips. "And I can assume this means you have an official plus one for the wedding?"

Rolling her eyes, Chloe shook her head and grinned a little, "plus three."

Lois smirked. "Bet you never guessed when you came here you'd end up with a teenager and a baby."

Shaking her head, Chloe smiled softly, "no," she agreed, "I did actually come for work, you know? I didn't even expect to run into Ollie."

"And here I thought by now you'd known to expect the unexpected. Especially when it comes to certain superheroes." She winked at Chloe.

"I should have," she admitted, smiling as Connor twirled his little fingers around her hair, "I guess I didn't realize I needed one of them."

"I think this particular one needed you, too," Lois told her softly, watching Chloe and Connor together.

With a deep breath, she nodded a little, "I don't know if we're... telling anyone." Chloe admitted to Lois, "he and Dinah just ended things recently."

Lois considered that. "I had a feeling when you were in the hospital that things weren't strictly platonic, at least on his side," she told her.

"Apparently they haven't been for over five years," Chloe said quietly.

She cocked her head to the side. "Wow."

"Yeah," she shook her head a little, looking at Lois, "I had no idea."

Lois was silent for a moment, moving to sit down at the kitchen table and thinking about it. "It kind of makes sense though, considering everything that had happened and his reaction to it."

"His reaction to what, exactly?" She asked, frowning slightly.

"Well, everything that happened with Davis and Jimmy," she said, her voice growing softer.

"Right," she nodded a little, she'd been wondering if Lois knew something she didn't, "I guess I was too busy to notice too."

"It was a rough time," Lois reminded her gently.

"It was a long time ago," she assured her cousin, smiling softly. She felt like the past five years were a transition she had to go through to get from that life to this new one. And it had been worth it.

* * *

Oliver wasn't entirely sure that he would show up. He paced the length of his office floor, nervous uncertainty making his stomach knot. He'd made up with the others, but somehow he felt like he'd let Bart down more than he had Vic or AC. He wouldn't blame the guy if he _didn't_ show up.

But less than a second later, Bart was being shown into Oliver's office. He wasn't sure why Oliver had decided to meet there, but he was sure he was going to find out.

He turned when the door opened and he smiled faintly, nodding at his assistant and then looking at Bart. "Hey."

"Hey," Bart said warily as the assistant closed the door behind them, "what's going on?"

Oliver moved over to the wet bar across the room and grabbed a can of soda for Bart and a bottle of water for himself. "I just wanted to talk to you," he admitted, turning to look at the younger man and holding out the soda.

Bart frowned more then nodded, taking the soda, "about what?"

"Everything," he said quietly. "Starting with an apology."

The younger man's expression grew serious and he placed the soda over Oliver's desk then crossed his arms over his chest, "did Chloe talk you into this?"

He winced at that, looking down at the floor. "No. I didn't even tell her I called you, Bart."

At that, Bart relaxed a little then nodded, "okay, then."

He looked up once more. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm sorry that I took off and let you down. All of you, but you especially. I've done a lot of shitty things over the years that I wish I hadn't done and I've screwed up a lot, and I'm sorry."

Bart paused for a moment then frowned before shaking his head, "man..." he said quietly, "it's not especially me, we all needed you."

"I talked to AC and Vic on the phone," he said just as quietly.

"Why didn't you just call me too?" He asked.

Oliver was silent for a moment and then he moved to sit down on the small couch, twisting his water bottle cap open and taking a drink. "I've always sort of thought of you as a younger brother," he admitted, glancing up at Bart. "I guess I wanted to see you and straighten things out in person. If that's even possible."

Bart's face fell and he looked down, nodding a little, "I used to see you kinda like that too, I mean," he dropped his hands to his sides, "you were the guy who pulled us all together, you know? You caught me stealing and you still thought I could be something useful, I don't even know what I'd be doing right now if it wasn't for you and then when the rest of us tried to help you, you kinda just shoved us away like it didn't matter."

He raked a hand through his hair, staring down at the floor. "I thought you were better off without me," he admitted.

"You thought wrong," he told Oliver bluntly.

"About a lot of things," Oliver said softly.

"What else?"

He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "Dinah," he admitted, not looking at the younger man. "Clark. Davis. Jimmy. All of it."

"What... happened with Dinah?" Bart asked curiously.

Oliver shut his eyes for a moment. "I was in love with someone else."

"With Chloe?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," he said softly.

"Yeah," Bart shook his head a little then shrugged, "what now?"

"What do you mean?" He looked up.

Bart shrugged once more, "are we gonna... put the team back together or just... keep doing what we're doing now?"

Oliver gazed at him for a moment. "Do you still want to put the team back together?" he asked softly.

After considering Oliver for a moment, Bart took a deep breath, "we kinda have our own team, Vic and I, AC helps occasionally. We could still help each other."

He nodded a little, swallowing hard. "All right."

"If you want to." Bart said quietly.

"I do," he said just as quietly. "And Mia would probably like to help out, too."

"She will?" Bart asked, surprised.

He nodded a little. "She's been helping me out there a lot."

"Yeah, I read the articles," Bart nodded, "didn't seem like she liked us, though."

"She's just...she's been through a lot," he said softly. "And it was more Clark and Lois that made her uncomfortable."

Bart was about to ask why, but stopped himself. Chances were, Oliver had told the girl stories about Clark and that'd explain it. The two of them never exactly got along, "she'll be welcome to if she wants to."

Oliver smiled a little. "And...I was kind of hoping Uncle Bart might want to spend a little time with Connor."

Blinking, Bart raised his eyebrows, his face lightning up but his expression remained pretty neutral, "really?"

"Yeah." He smiled a bit more, relaxing a little.

Bart finally relaxed and smiled a little, "that'd be cool, I can be the cool uncle Bart."

Oliver grinned at him. "Yeah. Everybody needs a cool uncle."

"Cool," he said with a nod, "thanks."

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

"When can I... stop by?" Bart asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You're welcome anytime, Bart," Oliver told him with a smile.

"Maybe I'll stop by tomorrow, then." He suggested, not wanting to intrude or anything.

"I'd like that," he said quietly, nodding.

"Okay," he nodded then shrugged, "is Chloe doing okay?"

At the mention of Chloe, Oliver's expression softened and he nodded. "Yeah, she's all right. She's uh--she's moving to Star City."

"She is?" Bart asked, a little surprised, but not completely.

"Yeah." He paused. "Is that weird for you?"

"Not really," he said with a shrug.

He relaxed, nodding a little. "I'm glad."

"Yeah..." Bart paused for a moment, "I should get back, but I'll stop by sometime tomorrow, then."

"All right." He rose to his feet. "Thanks for meeting me, Bart," he said quietly.

"Glad you asked me to come over," Bart said sincerely.

He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Bart grinned a little and nodded before walking out of the door instead of speeding because he didn't want anyone to get curious about what happened to the guy who came by to talk to Oliver.

Oliver watched him go, grinning, as well. Maybe things were finally going to start returning to normal.

Whatever that was.


	25. Chapter 25

  


Chloe checked on her phone one more time before she made her way inside the park, it was a beautiful day in DC and she finished up sooner than she expected to, so when she got Ollie's text saying he was at the park with Mia and Connor, she didn't think twice before picking up her things and heading their way.

She slid her phone back inside her purse and looked around, it took her only a few seconds to spot them; Mia was playing with Connor, trying to get him to throw a ball back at her, and a few feet away was Oliver, sitting down on one of the benches, under the shade, with a relaxed posture and a smile on his face as he watched the other two. It was nice to see him like that, such a big difference from when she ran into him a few months ago.

And he wasn't the only one who had changed. She could barely recognize herself anymore, she wasn't constantly running, constantly moving and keeping herself busy just so she wouldn't think about how lonely and how miserable she really was. She wasn't hiding from her past and she wasn't afraid of reaching out to the people who cared about her and who she cared about. She had a _family_ , and it was all thanks to him.

"Well, I'm glad I didn't miss out on _all_ the fun," she told him as she approached the bench and sat down next to him.

"Not at all. Plenty of fun to be had still," he said, looking up at her with a grin.

Chloe pressed a kiss to his cheek and smiled, "good to know. I'm done."

"Done, done?" he asked curiously, turning his head to look at her.

"Done for this trip, I rescheduled the meetings I had and it worked out, I had my last one this morning," she told him, smiling brightly.

Oliver grinned back at her. "So now what?" he asked, meeting her eyes.

"Now I can spend some time with you guys and enjoy the rest of the trip," she told him, hesitating for a second before reaching for his hand.

He slid his fingers through hers without hesitation. "Mia mentioned wanting to see that art gallery on 22nd."

"We should do that when they get tired of being outside," she told him, taking a deep breath, "there's a restaurant I want to take you guys to."

Oliver nodded, giving her hand a squeeze and leaning in to kiss her softly.

Chloe returned the kiss and squeezed his hand back, shifting a little closer to him on the bench and smiling softly when they broke the kiss.

He smiled back at her. "So what do you think?" he asked, turning to watch Mia and Connor once more.

"About what?" She asked, watching him for a moment before turning to look at the other two too.

He grinned a little and glanced at her sideways. "How things are going."

"Oh..." she watched them for a moment then back at Oliver and nodded slowly, "it's pretty amazing, I think. Considering the huge difference between how things are now and how they were when I was here last."

He nodded a little, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles lightly. "I love you." He'd rarely spoken those words to anyone before, had rarely felt the emotion behind them. But it came naturally with Chloe.

"I love you too," she told him sincerely, this time completely comfortable with the words as she brushed her thumb over his hand, "I'm glad we will have some free time before we have to leave."

"Me too. It'll be nice," he said softly, letting go of her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I wanted to spend some time with them out of their environment, especially Mia," Chloe admitted quietly.

"She needs all the positive attention she can get," he said just as quietly, looking over at the teenage girl.

"Yeah," Chloe agreed, watching Mia with Connor, "I want her to feel like she can trust me and count on me for whatever she needs and not feel like I'm taking your attention away from her."   
"She likes you," he said softly. "Just so you know."

"I know," she told him, smiling softly, "but I want us to feel like a family."

"We are," he assured her, giving her a gentle squeeze.

Chloe relaxed and nodded, "we're getting there."

Oliver smiled softly and looked over at the kids. "Yeah. We are."

With a deep breath, she laid her head on his shoulder and let out a breath, watching them for a long moment then smiling when they finally noticed she was there too.

Mia picked up Connor and pointed in their direction, "look who's here, Con!"

"Mama!" Connor's face broke into a wide smile ad he waved happily at her.

She sat up and smiled, waving back at him, "hey, Connor."

Mia walked over to them, "didn't even see you get here."

Oliver grinned at her. "Well, you were trying to teach Connor how to throw a curveball," he teased.

"Mama!" Connor said again, reaching for Chloe.

"Hi honey," Chloe said quietly, unable to stop herself as she took Connor from Mia. Regardless if he had started calling her mama because she looked like his mom, she knew he'd grown to love her regardless of who she looked like.

"He's gonna be awesome when I'm done with him," Mia said proudly, sitting down in the other side of Oliver.

"He's a lucky kid to have you around," he told her with a grin, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders.

Mia raised her eyebrows and nodded, "you know it."

Chloe cuddled Connor to her and raised her eyebrows, "we were thinking of going to that art gallery you wanted to see, Mia."

"Chloe wanted to take us to a restaurant first though. That work for you?" He smiled at Mia.

"Yeah, awesome," she grinned, sitting up, "what restaurant?"

"My favorite restaurant in the city, how do you feel about Italian?" Chloe asked, rubbing her hand over Connor's back.

Connor kissed her cheek and then smiled brightly at her.

Oliver chuckled softly, ruffling his hair. "It's one of her favorites," he infomed her.

"Yeah!" Mia said with a grin, "and you've got to see Connor eating bread."

Chloe grinned and turned to look at Connor, smiling as she rubbed her nose against his, "I can't wait to see that."

He placed a hand on her cheek and giggled.

Oliver smiled at them, leaning over and kissing Mia's temple lightly. "You getting hungry?"

"Yeah," Mia agreed, looking over at him.

Chloe kissed Connor's palm and smiled, hugging him to her then looking at Ollie and Mia, "we should go, then, it's a couple blocks, so we can walk then come back for the car?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." He rose to his feet, holding his hand out to Mia and grinning, then looking at Chloe and Connor.

"Mama," Connor said again, wrapping his arms around her neck tightly.

Chloe stood up too and hugged Connor then raised her eyebrows, "it's okay, I'm not going anywhere, Connor." She told him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

Mia pursed her lips together and raised her eyebrows at Ollie as she stood up.

He smiled softly at Chloe, then glanced at Mia in time to catch her expression. "Maybe after dinner we can get some ice cream somewhere," he suggested, knowing there wasn't much that Mia loved more than ice cream when it came to food. Except maybe Hawaiian pizza.

"They have really good gelatto next door to the restaurant," Chloe suggested, raising her eyebrows a little.

"Fancy ice cream is fine," Mia teased, nodding.

He chuckled at that. "Lead the way," he told Chloe with a wink.

Grinning softly, Chloe started toward the exit of the park, "okay, it's not a bad walk," she assured him, looking down as Connor turned on her lap and held out his hand toward Ollie, "da!"

Oliver froze in his tracks, staring at his son. "Did he just--?"

"Dada!" Connor giggled, bouncing on Chloe's lap and she grinned, looking down at the baby, "that's right Connor, he is your dad!"

He felt warmth spread through his chest as a bright grin spread across his face, and he held his arms out to Connor.

Connor wrapped his arms around his dad's neck as he picked him up and repeated 'dada' a few more times.

Chloe smiled and pressed a kiss to Connor's head, holding Ollie's gaze and nodding.

Oliver hugged him close, kissing his temple and closing his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them once more and smiled back at Chloe and Mia.

Mia shook her head a little and smiled, watching the other three, "he needs to learn the most important word in the vocabulary now."

Grinning softly, Chloe nodded, "he will learn soon, I'm sure."

"Cookie?" Oliver teased, glancing at her sideways.

Mia rolled her eyes and groaned then looked over at Connor, "say Mia, Connor, Mi-a."

Chloe smiled when Connor looked at Mia, puzzled, "I don't think he's ready for it yet. Too much pressure."  
Oliver kissed Connor's cheek. "I have a feeling once he starts talking he may never stop," he joked, rubbing his back.

"And there is nothing wrong with that," Chloe added as they started to walk again.

"Yeah," Mia smirked, "you say that now, wait until he walks into your room and interrupts alone time."

"Ah, but that's what his big sister is for." Oliver grinned at her brightly.

"What? He's still your kid, I have nothing to do with it," Mia teased, smirking.

Chloe shrugged a little, "I'm sure I could talk him into increasing your allowance if you added a couple of hours of Connor watching to your busy schedule."

Oliver's grin brightened even more at that. "There's a thought."

Mia brightened too and she raised her eyebrows, "I guess I could be bribed into it..."

"Excellent." He draped an arm around her shoulders, still grinning.

"There's one condition, though," Mia warned, raising her eyebrows.

"That would be...?" He raised an eyebrow, as well.

"I _never_ wanna hear or see anything and if I do, I want brain bleach," she warned him, then looked over at Chloe.

Chloe laughed softly, "I think that would be healthier for everyone involved."

Oliver chuckled, too. "Maybe we should consider moving into a bigger place."

"With a pool," Mia agreed, nodding.

He paused, considering. "We could move to the mansion," he said quietly, glancing at Chloe sideways.

"The mansion?" Chloe echoed, frowning a little then blinking when she realized what he meant, "your parent's mansion?"

"Yeah," he said with a slight nod.

"What's that like?" Mia asked curiously.

"Big. And there is a pool," he told her with a small smile. "And a big garden area. My mom liked to garden."

"Is that something you'd be comfortable with, Ollie?" Chloe asked quietly.

He was quiet for a moment. "I'm not sure," he admitted softly. "But it's a possibility."

"As long as there's a pool, it doesn't _have_ to be a mansion," Mia pointed out.

Chloe smiled at her then nodded at Ollie, "we can look into different possibilities and then go check out the mansion when we get back."

"Sounds like a plan," he told them, relaxing a little.

She smiled and nodded, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his cheek, "c'mon, we're not very far," Chloe told them as they turned onto the corner of the restaurant.

Oliver smiled softly at her, reaching out and sliding his free arm around her waist.

Chloe smiled up at him and wrapped her arm around him, grinning as Connor immediately reached for her hair once she stepped closer. They were definitely getting there on the whole feeling like a family thing.


End file.
